This high school story in Illinois... Oh brother...

I've covered a lot of things in 2,600 posts on this blog.

I think this is the first time I have ever commented on an ADMITTED RIGGED football contest in the United States.

Deadspin reported on this gem from the state of Illinois and their high-school football playoff quarterfinals.

Class 7A quarterfinal nine days ago.  Simeon Career Academy, ranked #1 by the seeding committee, faced #8 Nazareth Catholic Academy.

Incredibly, or so it seemed, Nazareth defeated Simeon by a touchdown.

The problems began on the last play of the game, when Simeon was driving for a tying score and overtime when the officials could not properly set the ball after the previous down run was stuffed in the middle of the line.

The clock ran out, the game was over.

But what really got the situation to a boil, especially for Simeon fans, was the "actions of one Richard Mercado".  You see, he had two problems here:  First, he was the dad of a Nazareth player.

Second, he was an Illinois referee who decided to actually suit up as an Illinois official, commiserate with the other referees, aid and abet Nazareth's victory, and then slam it in the face of Simeon fans on Facebook!!

(Which the above-linked Deadspin article has.)

At least 20 persons, the booster club, the team itself, and other parties have sued Mercado and the Illinois high-school sports sanctioning body to reverse the decision.

Well, looking up further results:  The decision stood, Nazareth defeated Batavia 47-28 the next week, and will face 10-3 St. Charles North High School for the 7A state championship on Saturday.