The Patriots are searching for their ninth title in school history
Wayne Hills is back in the playoffs -- for good this time.
A whirlwind week for the top seed in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 playoffs officially came to a close at 4:32 p.m. Tuesday afternoon following an eligibility hearing at the NJSIAA headquarters in Robbinsville.
The NJSIA's eligibility committee -- comprised of five members -- determined that Wayne Hills did not violate any transfer rules and the players in question -- Tyler and Hunter Hayek -- are residents in Wayne.
Wayne Hills, No. 14 in the NJ.com Top 20, was restored as the No. 1 seed while the rest of the bracket was restored to its original format. First-round games will be played Friday and Saturday this week.
The controversy centered around whether or not Wayne Hills standouts Hunter and Tyler Hayek transferred to the school last year with a "bona fide change of residence." According to attorney Stephen Edelstein, Vic Hayek, the boys' father, moved from Woodland Park to Wayne in October of 2015 with his sons "due to personal family circumstances."
Edelstein and another attorney representing the boys, Darren Del Sardo, said they provided evidence Tuesday such as utility bills, leases, checks and testimony from at least five witnesses describing the Hayek home in Wayne.
Meanwhile, the NJSIAA argued the boys did not have a bona fide change of residence because their driver's licenses' have a Woodland Park address and Vic Hayek's voter registration has a Woodland Park address, according to the attorneys.
"The evidence was overwhelming that they are in fact residents [of Wayne]," Del Sardo said. "There wasn't one scintilla of evidence on the other side that would suggest otherwise. The evidence was overwhelming on our side. I hope we had a fair hearing today."
The outcome marks the end of a tumultuous week for Wayne Hills, which was initially banned from the postseason last Tuesday for using the ineligible players, then granted a stay and allowed back into the playoffs Thursday by Acting Education Commissioner Kimberly Harrington.
As the hearing unfolded, several Wayne Hills parents and media members waited out the proceedings in a meeting room adjacent to the hearing.
Sunil Modak, whose son, Jason, is a junior on the Wayne Hills team, made the trip to Robbinsville Tuesday “just for support,” he said.
“I couldn’t sit still at home just waiting,” Sunil Modak added. “It’s been a rollercoaster. It’s been difficult. I’m just looking for closure today. Either we’re in or we’re out — let’s just move on at this point.”
Pat Lanni may be reached at planni@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatLanniHS. Like NJ.com High School Sports on Facebook.