IHSA: ‘No firm timeline for completion of Harrisburg-Seton investigation’

By Jim Muir

A spokesperson with the IHSA said on Monday that there is not a specific time frame to conclude its investigation into the Class 2A state championship game between Harrisburg and Seton Academy.

The Harrisburg Bulldogs won the game 50-44 completing a record-setting season and finishing the year with a record of 33-1.  The game was marred by three technical fouls and the ejection of Seton Academy’s Mark Weems, Jr., who received two technical fouls and was ejected with 2:05 remaining in the first half.  Weems, Jr. received the second technical foul for making contact with the official.  The other technical foul was called on Harrisburg’s Dakota Upchurch.

The Seton Academy team refused to accept the second place trophy following the game and Coach Brandon Thomas and several players refused to allow the second place medals to be placed around their neck and Thomas threw his medal in the direction of a assistant coach after he exited the podium.  Two days after the championship game the Seton Academy leveled charges that players had been subjected to racial slurs throughout the game, a charge that Harrisburg officials vehemently deny.

Matt Troha, who serves as assistant executive director for the IHSA, issued a two-sentence answer on Monday when he was contacted by email about the ongoing investigation and the time schedule for completion.

“We are still awaiting some requested materials as a part of our investigation and expect to receive them later this week,” said Troha. “There is no firm timeline for completion of the investigation, although it remains a top priority.”

Only hours after the championship game was completed the IHSA issued a statement taking both teams to task.

The statement read:

“The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) is disappointed with and embarrassed by the actions of both Harrisburg High School and South Holland (Seton Academy) during Saturday’s IHSA Class 2A Boys Basketball State Championship game.

While passion and intensity are an integral part of athletic competition, especially at the highest levels, the behaviors of both teams crossed the lines of acceptable sportsmanship.  The IHSA is in the process of reviewing the events associated with tonight’s contest. Both schools will be contacted Monday.

“I am embarrassed by what took place here tonight,” said IHSA Executive Director Marty Hickman. “Interscholastic athletics are designed to teach young people important lessons about life. The lessons on display tonight were that respect and sportsmanship are not important, and that is simply not acceptable.”

The IHSA staff will be reaching out to the schools participating in next week’s Class 3A and Class 4A Super-Sectionals and State Finals tournament to reinforce the expectations of sportsmanship and appropriate behavior in interscholastic contests.