Institute of Technology’s football season ended after suffering a 29-0 loss to New Hartford. But when those players and their parents woke up this morning, they didn’t even know if they were going to the game.

The team was disqualified for playing an ineligible person in its last game. The Syracuse City School District took Section Three Athletics to court, and this morning the judge ruled in ITC’s favor, letting the players play tonight.

It wasn’t the outcome the ITC football team wanted, but after a week full of trials and tribulations, the parents of the players on the team told me they were happy their children were able to take the field one last time.

Coming into this year’s high school football playoffs, the Syracuse Institute of Technology Eagles were in the midst of the program’s best season ever at 7-2.

But after winning its first-round playoff game against Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, the team was disqualified, and since then, parents like Trisha Brummett, who has a daughter who plays on the team, said it’s been a tough week for players.

It was one of the hardest weeks to be as strong as I needed to be, not only for my child, but for the whole team. It was stressful. It was exciting, it was a lot.

The Eagles were disqualified after playing a player who had been ruled out of the previous game after claiming that Section Three had told them the player could play in the game.

While the team awaited the court’s decision, parent Laquan Gilbert wanted the players to keep their heads in the game.

“Be positive son, whatever happens, be positive. You have the city fighting for you, we are here for you and let’s be positive.”

When the judge’s decision came that they could play, Brummett and other parents were overcome with emotion.

“And then I heard ITC was going to play tonight. Every emotion was gone and everyone was screaming and yelling.”

Willie Green, who has a grandson on the team, says when he heard the news he left work and started packing for the game.

I was so happy. I was at work and my daughter texted me and said, “Dad, it’s overturned,” so I left work.

While the result wasn’t what Eagles fans had hoped for, they’re excited to build for next year when they finally get a home football field.

“They deserve to have a home field and they deserve to play at home. And next season, they’re going to have a home and they’re going to play and it’s going to be an even better season,” said another parent, Lamar Watts.

Parents congratulate their children for staying focused throughout the week when they didn’t know if they would even play on Friday night. They say it took a lot of dedication from their kids throughout the week. Reporting from New Hartford, I’m Dale Ostrander.