HARTLAND — HARTLAND, Wis. — Arrowhead High School football player Tristen Seidl made his debut on the Warhawks' 29-6 win against Waukesha West Friday night.
Seidl was granted a court injunction just hours before their game against West, allowing him to play while his eligibility battle with the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) continues.
Seidl transferred to Arrowhead this summer after three years at Kettle Moraine. Court documents show that his family says a house fire in 2023 prompted the move out of the Kettle Moraine school district and into the Arrowhead School district.
The family claims they intended to move back when their house was rebuilt, but contractors told them this year it would need to be demolished. They say that's the reason they waited until 2025 to transfer schools.
Watch: Arrowhead football player wins court injunction to play amid WIAA eligibility dispute in 29-6 victory
The WIAA ruled Seidl ineligible for this season, prompting his family to take the organization to court.
Hours before the Week 3 Classic 8 Conference matchup against West, a court granted him an injunction to play while the case proceeds.
However, there could still be risks to any wins Arrowhead gets with Seidl playing if the courts later rule in the WIAA's favor.
Watch: Arrowhead head coach Matt Harris spoke with TMJ4's Brendyn Jones
After the game, Arrowhead head coach Matt Harris spoke with TMJ4's Brendyn Jones.
"I had nothing to do with it," Harris said, after being asked what led to the decision to let Seidl play Friday night. "Honestly, it’s our administration, it’s our athletic director, it’s not like I was like "oh maybe I’ll play him, maybe I won’t”, No. It was as a school district they decided that it was the right thing to do."
Harris said the district and team understand the possible consequences, but feel like the Seidle family is in the right.
"I’m sure there is a chance something bad could happen, but I just feel like we can’t worry about that, that’s not my job, that’s over my head. The kids aren’t (worried); they were all in. They understood the potential consequences. They know that the Siedl’s followed the rules, and we thought it was fair that he’d have the chance to play," Harris said.
Midway through the first quarter, Seidl made his debut.
Waukesha West struck first when quarterback Jamison Larsen took the ball himself through six yards of defenders for the game's opening score. A missed extra point left West up 6-0.
The lead didn't last long. Arrowhead reached the red zone, and running back Jacob Siner got the handoff, made a cut, and avoided several defenders as he trotted into the end zone. Arrowhead took a 7-6 lead.
Arrowhead kept the momentum going with another trip inside the 10-yard line. Siner got the ball again, faked inside, then made a big cut outside to go untouched for the score. The Warhawks led 15-6 at halftime.
After halftime, Arrowhead continued to dominate. Running back Jabari Craig Jr. got the ball on the goal line, pushing the pile to fall into the end zone for a 22-6 lead.
To cap off the scoring, Siner's name was called once again. He went and ran in between several defenders, then hit the sideline and ran for a 40-plus-yard touchdown.
Harris says the win was a way to start off the conference season strong.
"Our motto is stay grounded, be a champ today, worry about what’s going on today. So we’re happy that's what we did," Harris said.
This story was reported on-air by Brendyn Jones and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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