This is what happens when ESPN gets duped into airing a high school football game between the most talented team in the country and an online charter school nobody has heard of, went 0-6 last year, and lied about its roster to get on TV. pic.twitter.com/QUwM8BQKiY

— Ben Koo (@bkoo) August 29, 2021

(8-29-21) Rod Sterling said it best…

It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition, and it lies between the pit of man’s fears and the summit of his knowledge. This is the dimension of imagination. It is an area which we call the Twilight Zone.

Ohio HS Football fans were scratching their heads today watching IMG Academy, a well known football factory school, take on Columbus based Bishop Sycamore…who in the world is that? IMG won 58-0 in a nationally televised game in Canton at the Hall of Fame.

There are so many questions and no answers in this entire mess. ESPN, IMG Academy, Paragon Marketing all get a black eye from this game…while Ohio football gets some bad press just by Bishop Sycamore claiming Ohio as home.

Questions have been raised about players who played for Bishop Sycamore and the lack of the much publicized D1 prospects who didn’t show up.

By the way was there ever a Bishop Sycamore in the Catholic Church?

Here is the statement from Prep Gridiron Logistic on today’s debacle in Canton. AD/Coaches of Ohio beware @OHSAASports https://t.co/4Cpn4ochQA

— OH AD News – HS (@OHADNewsHS) August 30, 2021

ESPN aired seven high school football games this past week as part of their GEICO ESPN High School Kickoff, this was one of those games. According to Rashid Ghazi, the president of Paragon Marketing Group (via a Ben Koo tweet) the company that schedules the games did not know Bishop Sycamore had played on Friday night (which is not on their schedule) and would have cancelled the IMG game if they knew that was the case.

Friday game with Sto-Rox

I’m hungry💯🏈 @COACHGRANT6 @BSFPerformance @LonnPhillips @RufusBrown87 @julius_levy @coach_pat84 @Fury7v7 pic.twitter.com/Dcm8wduHUW

— Charlie Pollard (@Six_Savage6) August 28, 2021

But cancelling the game would have been expensive for everyone.

Our @paragon_mktg crew is hard at work this weekend as we have great high school football games airing across the @espn networks. Check it out! @WhosNextHS @DanMargulis @CraigHaubert @TomLuginbill @jaltersports pic.twitter.com/p2iFNZitAa

— Rashid Ghazi (@RashidGhazi1) August 27, 2021

How are they supported in 2021…on August 21st a Go Fund Me page was set-up

Bishop Sycamore

$140 raised of $20,000 goal

Khalil Davis is organizing this fundraiser

We are Bishop Sycamore a new football program getting established in Columbus Ohio. We play a national schedule which is ranked 4th in the nation. We have gather young men from all over the country in the pursuit of a similar goal. We currently need your assistant with helping these young men achieve their goals and inspire other young men to do the same. It takes a community to raise a child please be that community and help these young men! Please help us with funding team meals, travel expenses and equipment cost.

2021 Bishop Sycamore Schedule

Take a look at the rest of the Bishop Sycamore schedule that features numerous powerhouse programs.

No. 2 Archbishop Hoban rolls over Bishop Sycamore in unofficial season opener, 38-0

The school itself is suppose to be an online-only charter school, and is not affiliated with the OHSAA, so the game doesn’t count as a win on Hoban’s record. Should the OHSAA address this situation…its not the first time a school just popped up out of nowhere – Christians of Faith Academy Football Team – A Nightmare Situation For Ohio High School Football

A sad day in high school football…