“Mess” is an understatement when it comes to Ohio’s Bishop Sycamore. In 48-hours since playing defending national champ IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) on national television on Sunday, we’ve learned that the Columbus, Ohio school played two games in three days last weekend; has fired its head football coach Roy Johnson; and is losing upcoming opponents faster than you can say “debacle”.
On August 13, Johnson appeared with me on the High School Football America Podcast to talk about his fledgling program playing one of the toughest high school football schedules in the nation that included eight teams in the Preseason 2021 High School Football America 100 national rankings.
At that time of my interview with Johnson, he seemed sincere and talked about building a national profile high school football program as “an online charter school helping at-risk students.”
“The Centurions, coached by Roy Johnson, are not your typical high school football program. It would be better to call Bishop Sycamore a prep school with several post-graduate players.”
from High School Football America story on August 13
Johnson said that one of his near-term goals was, “to create a program with three teams — one that plays a high school varsity schedule in Ohio; one that plays a national schedule with only high school-aged players and a third that plays against prep schools with only post-graduates.”
While Johnson talked at length about playing IMG, last year and on national television this year, he never disclosed that he would do the unthinkable of having his young men play at game in western Pennsylvania on Friday and IMG on Sunday.
Since Sunday’s ESPN broadcast, Johnson has been relieved of his duties.
One of the stories in this story that’s not being focused on is the kids. Let’s not forget that there are some 40-50 kids that put their trust in Johnson and company to provide them with an education and a place to play high school football.
As far as the rest of the season, the Dallas Morning News has reported that Duncanville’s September 10th game against Bishop Sycamore is cancelled.
This week’s opponent Johnson Central in Kentucky announced on Twitter it was looking a new opponent to replace the Centurions.
Friday’s match versus Bishop Sycamore has been cancelled.
— Johnson Central Athletics (@JCAthletics_) August 31, 2021
Johnson Central is currently seeking an opponent for Friday’s open date.
Maryland’s DeMatha also called-off its October 1 game with Bishop Sycamore.
Wa Post story about Bishop Sycamore in Ohio. DeMatha will not be playing the school in October:https://t.co/0PPgGKbhKW
— DeMathaHighSchool (@DeMathaCatholic) August 31, 2021
As far as whether you’ll see Bishop Sycamore on television any time soon, FloFootball.com has also announced the Centurions’ October 22nd game against St. Frances Academy (Maryland) will not be broadcast on its platform as had been previously announced, according to awfulannouncing.com.
When all is said-and-done, all of Sycamore’s opponents will probably pull-out of their games with a program has to look deep inside itself.
