An undefeated high school football team in Orange County is fighting to keep its championship dreams alive after a player eligibility violation forced it to forfeit its playoff victory.

Middletown High School finished its regular season 9-0 and defeated Valley Central 48-15 in Friday’s Section IX Class AA semifinal. But the victory was overturned after school officials determined that a player had not met the minimum regular-season participation requirement to compete in the playoffs.

In a letter to families Monday, Superintendent Amy Creeden and Athletic Director Justin Sturge attributed the violation to an unintentional mistake by adults who misunderstood the eligibility rules.

“Not one student-athlete did anything wrong,” district officials wrote.

The district says its request for a waiver from Section IX was denied, as was a subsequent appeal to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA), the governing body for public high school athletics in New York.

The decision leaves Middletown out of Saturday’s championship game against Newburgh Free Academy, with Valley Central expected to take its place.

Senior players are expressing their disappointment in videos posted to social media as the team faces the possibility of losing its shot at a championship despite winning every game on the field.

Middletown Mayor Joseph DeStefano is also calling for the decision to be reversed, arguing that students should not bear the consequences of an administrative mistake.

The district says it is working with legal counsel to explore further action, although officials acknowledge that the chances of overturning the decision are limited. District officials met with players Monday and made counselors available to students. A virtual information session for affected families was also scheduled for Monday evening.

News 12 has reached out to the Middletown school district and the New York State Public High School Athletic Association for additional comment.