IHSA suspends South Elgin coach
South Elgin boys basketball coach Matt Petersen was suspended by the IHSA for the remainder of the season on Tuesday due to the Storm playing more games during the regular season than IHSA rules allow.
Assistant coach Steve Szpejnowski coached the team in its 71-66 win over Jacobs in the Class 4A Elgin sectional semifinals Wednesday night and will be the team's interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
South Elgin athletic director Jason Ward shouldered the blame for the extra game.
"It was an oversight in scheduling," Ward said prior to Wednesday's game. "It's my fault. I didn't catch that we had an extra game."
IHSA rules state that if a team plays in two tournaments, which South Elgin did, then it is allowed 18 regular-season games. The Storm played 19.
"Unfortunately Matt has to sit out," Ward said. "But he'll be back ready to go next year. This is not his fault; it's mine."
Petersen, who is not allowed to attend practices or games, learned early Tuesday afternoon he would be suspended.
"Our Principal, Mr. Jim Edwards, came and got me and took me down to the office," Petersen said late Wednesday night.
"Mr. Ward just explained what happened and what the infraction was and what the consequences of that infraction are. We just tried to put a plan together and decide who was going to be the new coach."
Petersen explained what happened.
"When I got here at the end of the June, the schedule was already set," he said. "I think the confusion came in with the (Upstate Eight) conference crossover game. When I first got the schedule, the crossover was not on our schedule. The last game I saw on our schedule was the East Aurora game on Feb. 21. So I counted everything and thought it was fine.
"Apparently, what I was told was that when they did the schedule at the end of last year there was a misinterpretation about the conference crossover game. That's what I understood the problem to be."
South Elgin will not be made to forfeit any games.
Jerry Fitzpatrick contributed to this report