IHSA rules that the Flyers used an ineligible player and also may have recruited another.
Editor's note: A judge in the 20th Judicial Circuit has granted a temporary restraining order to override the ban that the IHSA placed on East St. Louis. The Flyers are currently scheduled to play Belleville West on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.East St. Louis (Ill.) has been removed from the Illinois playoff landscape after being forced to forfeit its first five games for using an ineligible player.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, senior defensive end Charles Tigue lived in the Belleville school district but has attended East St. Louis since his freshman season.
Anthony Pierson transferred to
East St. Louis for his senior season.
Photo by Tom Lemming
The newspaper also reports that Anthony Pierson, who transferred from Gateway Tech (St. Louis, Mo.) to East St. Louis for his senior season, was illegally recruited by Flyers coaches, according to Pierson’s father.
"No one wins in these type of situations," Illinois High School Association Executive Director Marty Hickman said in a release. "And while we appreciate the school's cooperation with our investigation, member schools have an obligation to abide by our association by-laws, including the need to have clear enrollment processes in place and the ability to verify residence issues."
East St. Louis had been 9-0, and was ranked No. 62 nationally in the MaxPreps Freeman Rankings. Head coach Darren Sunket's squad appeared to be on a collision course with
Wheaton-Warrenville South (Wheaton, Ill.), No. 14 in the Freeman Rankings, in the 7A playoff bracket. With the forfeit of its first five victories, East St. Louis is unable to qualify for the playoffs despite originally garnering a No. 1 seed.
The Flyers were also forced to forfeit all 10 wins from their 2009 season.
