Tamir Goodman. Photo: tamirgoodman.com.

When their state semifinal matchup could not be rescheduled from it’s original time of 9 p.m. this Friday, because of the Jewish sabbath, The Beren Academy Stars decided to forfeit their matchup against Dallas Covenant.

“When Beren’s joined years ago, we advised them that the Sabbath would present them with a problem with the finals. In the past, Tapps has held firmly to their rules because if schedules are changed for these schools, it’s hard for other schools,” Taaps Director Edd Burelson told the New York Times.

Taaps is the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools.

Beren Academy’s head basketball coach, Chris Cole, says the school was advised about the potential conflict but he’s still hoping for “flexibility”.

“This is something that we did know and were made aware of.  We would just like there to be some sort of flexibility on the rare occasion that we get this far,” Cole told FoxNews.com.

A significant amount of attention has been drawn to this story, and the team has received expressions of support from inside their own league, including from their scheduled opponent Dallas Covenant, whose head coach said “they have chosen the higher road.”

Now, Tamir Goodman, dubbed “the Jewish Jordan” by Sports Illustrated, who played basketball professionally himself, is speaking out in support of the team.

“The most amazing thing about sport is that it has the power to unite cultures and infuse good into the world,” Goodman said to FoxNews.com. “Breaking down racial and cultural barriers and teaching great life lessons, that’s what sports are all about, especially at the high school level.

“It’s a great opportunity to do a lot of good. I hope that they reconsider. Jewish people have been celebrating the Sabbath for thousands of years and America is about respecting cultures and doing good things for other people,” Goodman said.

To watch a report on the story from Fox’s local Houston affiliate KRIV, click below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmFBk4vFcaw