Cardinal Gibbons has hired Todd Schuler - athletics director at Panther Creek - to the same position. Schuler (pictured left) had been at Panther Creek since the school opened in 2006 and the athletics director since 2008.

Gibbons had been searching for a replacement since January, when Dean Monroe left the school after 22 years as athletics director to become the AD at St. Mary's.

Last night, Panther Creek filed an appeal with the N.C. High School Athletic Association over the exclusion of its boys basketball team from the state playoffs.

This morning, NCHSAA commissioner Davis Whitfield responded saying there would be no change that would admit Panther Creek to the boys basketball playoffs. And later today, Panther Creek athletics director Todd Schuler said the school will accept the NCHSAA ruling.

In Whitfield's response to Panther Creek's appeal, he says that the Board of Directors did not change the qualification process in December. For the 4A bracket, that meant still having one wildcard from the east and one from the west.

Panther Creek’s boys basketball team was shut out of this week’s state playoffs as brackets were posted Saturday afternoon, but citing vague written policies by the N.C. High School Athletic Association on its new postseason format, Panther Creek athletic director Todd Schuler filed an official appeal with the NCHSAA.