Farragut-North Lawndale game stopped by brawl, both teams disqualified from state playoffs

A brawl broke out in the final minute of the Class 3A sectional final between Farragut and North Lawndale on the West Side on Friday.

The Illinois High School Association released a statement that both schools have been disqualified from the state playoffs and that DePaul Prep will not have to play a supersectional game and will advance to the state semifinals.

“After speaking to game management and the game officials, the IHSA ruled the contest a double-forfeit and it was never concluded,” Craig Anderson, the IHSA’s Executive Director, said in a statement. “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.”

The IHSA has told coaches from both teams not to talk to the media and not to tweet about the game. The following information comes from a reliable source.

The Admirals led North Lawndale, the sectional host, 56-50 with 41 seconds left to play. A Farragut player went up for a dunk and was undercut by a North Lawndale player. That set off the brawl, which involved players and fans.

“It was crazy as hell,” the source said. “It is sad the way it went down.”

According to the source, the IHSA made its ruling without talking to either coach and without seeing any video of the incident.

“It isn’t fair at all,” the source said. “[The IHSA] took the easy way out. Instead of tyring to figure out who did what, everyone is disqualified. They should have talked to the coaches and gotten some video. Not just said no one can play. We don’t get a chance to defend ourselves? You should try to assess the situation before you make that call.”

North Lawndale was involved in a playoff brawl in 2015 as well.