High School Basketball Brawl Gets Both Teams Disqualified From State Playoffs

In the waning minutes of last Friday’s Illinois Class 3A sectional final between Farragut and North Lawndale, Farragut’s Donovan Jones went for a dunk when a North Lawndale player appeared to undercut him, causing him to topple awkwardly to the hardwood. Others rushed in, a handful of spectators joined, and the situation devolved into a basketbrawl with punches thrown.

After clearing the gym and reviewing the footage, the Illinois High School Association decided to end the game in a double forfeit. IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson announced the rare double DQ in a statement shortly after the game:

“No team will advance to Tuesday’s Super-Sectional game, and DePaul College Prep will advance to the Class 3A State Final field. These are never easy decisions to make, but we believe it is the correct one. It is vital that we continue to send the message that incidents like this at high school contests will not be tolerated. They are unacceptable in society, no less a high school sporting event.”

Farragut and North Lawndale were the first- and second-seeded teams in their region, and whichever team won would have been one win away from the state semifinals. Both teams were ranked in the top 15 in Illinois by MaxPreps.