BATON ROUGE — A judge Monday dissolved a restraining order that prevented the Louisiana High School Athletic Association from forcing University High School to forfeit seven games, and the LHSAA knocked the Cubs out of this year's playoffs before they played their first game.

Liberty High School had filed a complaint with the LHSAA three weeks ago, alleging University High was using players in its attendance zone without proper authorization. U-High won a temporary restraining order last week and Week 1 of the playoffs occurred with the Cubs in the bracket and receiving a first-round bye.

Monday's decision leaves U-High with a 1-9 record. The Cubs are still shown as seeded second in the state with a game Friday at home, but the LHSAA updated the bracket to advance Booker T. Washington to the quarterfinals.

The school put out a statement Monday acknowledging the decision.

"We take these matters with the utmost seriousness, and we are fully committed to ensuring our athletics program aligns with LHSAA expectations moving forward. Our priority remains creating a fair, enriching, and supportive environment for our student-athletes, built on transparency and accountability," the letter to the "Cub Community" said.

School director Kevin George said he would "always act in the best interests of our students, exhausting all avenues to advocate for and protect their opportunities. We deeply appreciate the continued support of our families and community as we work to resolve these matters with integrity and dedication."

If the school wants to appeal, it would go to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeal. There was no immediate indication that it would do so.

The LHSAA did not comment immediately.

U-High had argued that the the LHSAA had violated its own rules by accepting a complaint within 10 days of the start of the playoffs. The association's bylaws bar late challenges in an effort to prevent schedule disruptions.

According to a timeline listed in University High's lawsuit, Liberty filed its complaint Oct. 28, or 11 days before the start of the playoffs. However, U-High said, it wasn't notified about an investigation until Oct. 30, or nine days before the playoff's first round. 

Liberty's complaint said U-High was using players in its attendance zone without filing the proper paperwork known as a "concurrence form." U-High said it believed the students were actually in McKinley High School's attendance zone and that Liberty, a magnet school, does not have a zone depicted on the East Baton Rouge Parish School District website.

University High also said Liberty filed its complaint too late for one of the players. 

The lawsuit initially led the LHSAA to delay announcing its high school football playoff brackets across all classifications, saying the dispute could impact each of the state's 307 football-playing schools. The association uses a "power rating" to seed teams in the playoffs, depending on results across all games in all classifications.

With the forfeits, University High was ranked 27th in Division II-Select entering the final week of the regular season, or three places outside the bracket.

U-High and its coach were also placed on an administration probation by LHSAA for a year.