UPDATED after original posting –

OHSAA Executive Director Jerry Snodgrass replied to SSN’s request on situation with COF Academy:

We have had communication with member schools alerting them to the fact there is a strong possibility no Harbin points will be available by playing them. That may have changed, I have not been updated since that communication due to out of office commitments.

It’s one of the dilemmas often created by our regulations (or lack of them) that permit our schools to play “anyone. Not many states do permit that.

(8-7-18) Christians of Faith Academy in Columbus, known as COF Academy, is going to give the OHSAA and several Ohio High School ADs heartburn for sure.

In a thisweeknews.com story yesterday, Out of thin air: COF Academy has football schedule, little else

According to the article (be sure to read it) – in early August

  • is not a member of the OHSAA
  • did not have a school building
  • did not have a working website
  • did not have an identifiable academic structure
  • did not have an announced home field
  • did not have a released roster

 

  • They do have a msacot – Ironmen

COF Academy AD  Roy Johnson (business-development director for the Richard Allen Group)

“I don’t know if it would be a big problem,” he said. “We’ll go and say, ‘This is what we are; this is what we do.’ … We’ll just answer questions honestly and try to move forward.”

It does have a schedule though….and it’s a doozeee!

COF Academy Football Schedule (MaxPreps)
8/24 @ North Allegheny (Wexford, PA)
8/31 @ Wayne (Huber Heights, OH)
9/7 @ Lima Senior (Lima, OH)
9/14 St. Ignatius (Cleveland, OH)
9/22 @ St. Edward (Lakewood, OH)
9/28 @ Catholic Central (Novi, MI)
10/5 @ Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, MI)
10/12 Dunbar (Dayton, OH)
10/19 Christian Brothers (St. Louis, MO)
10/26 @ IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL)
11/9 St. Frances Academy (Baltimore, MD)

  • Head coach Paul Williams, a former all-conference defensive back at Urbana University who spent 13 years as an assistant coach at Ohio Wesleyan University
  • former OSU wide receiver Jeff Greene
  • former OSU defensive end Jay Richardson –
  • Josh Harris, a Westerville North graduate who played at Bowling Green State University and in the NFL

African Methodist Episcopal Church is the group that is in place to run the school.

Brittany Halpin, Ohio Department of Education, confirmed to thisweeksnews.com that the school is registered with the state

  • classified as a non-charter school not supported by taxes, sometimes known as an “08” school in reference to its section in the Ohio Administrative Code
  • has partnered with Edmentum, a Minnesota-based education company that specializes in “adaptive curriculum, assessments and practice proven to improve student achievement” and also provides online learning programs

The nightmare is just beginning…