The uncertainty surrounding East St. Louis and the Illinois High School Association football playoff brackets will be cleared up Monday or Tuesday, according to IHSA assistant executive director Matt Troha.
In the last month the IHSA has ruled two East St. Louis players ineligible because of residency issues, but the association released its playoff pairings Saturday night before determining whether East St. Louis (9-0) would have to forfeit any victories and, potentially, its playoff spot.
Flyers running back Anthony Pierson, who has 1,408 yards and 23 touchdowns this season, was ruled ineligible Friday, the day before the pairings were announced, pending the results of an investigation into his residency.
If it is determined Pierson lives outside of the district, East Louis could be forced to forfeit the eight games he played in this season.
IHSA executive director Marty Hickman told the Belleville News-Democrat on Friday that “it’s going to depend on how this matter is resolved with Anthony at this moment.”
East St. Louis is the top seed on the bottom half of the lower 7A bracket and is scheduled to face eighth-seeded Belleville West in the first round this weekend.
If a forfeit ruling knocks East St. Louis out of the playoffs, the IHSA probably wouldn’t completely re-draw that side of the bracket. Belleville Altoff, a 4A school and the first team to miss qualifying for the playoffs, likely wouldn’t be put into the playoff field.
If Altoff was allowed in, the IHSA would have to re-draw the 4A, 5A and 6A brackets, most likely forcing the biggest 4A school to 5A, the biggest 5A school to 6A and the biggest 6A school to 7A.
It’s more likely that either Belleville West will win by forfeit and advance to the second round of the 7A playoffs or second-seeded Plainfield South will move up to the top seed and receive a bye, pitting Belleville West against seventh-seeded Bradley.
East St. Louis also could file for an injunction that could allow them to play.
East St. Louis’ other ineligible player, defensive lineman Charles Tigue, will not have an impact on the Flyers’ playoff eligibility.
The nephew of Flyers coach Darren Sunkett, Tigue was determined to be ineligible after court documents following an arrest for armed robbery last year revealed a Belleville address.
However, it was determined that Tigue was eligible to play for East St. Louis the last three years, but not in 2007, when he played as a freshman.
East St. Louis was forced to forfeit any victories Tigue was a part of in ’07, and Tigue was suspended for the rest of this season on Sept. 30. The IHSA denied his appeal Friday.
East St. Louis has won six football state championships, the fifth-highest total in IHSA history. The last came in 2008.
