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USATSI

Bishop Sycamore, the Ohio high school whose football team is facing legitimacy questions after a nationally televised 58-0 loss to IMG Academy on Sunday, has fired head coach Roy Johnson. The school reportedly fired Johnson immediately after Sunday's game but announced the move Tuesday. 

Andre Peterson, Bishop Sycamore's director, told USA Today the coach's injury tracking and pending fraud charges were among "a lot of things" that contributed to his firing. 

Not among Peterson's reasons: the fact that Johnson allowed his team to play -- and lose -- twice in one weekend, first a 19-7 defeat to Sto-Rox (Pennsylvania) on Friday then the 58-point drubbing to IMG Academy on Sunday. 

"Roy has honestly been like a little brother to me in the sense that when really we were launching Bishop Sycamore, there were some things that we wanted to do better and could have done better," Peterson told USA Today. "I value him as a person, but I just thought right now he needed to step down, he needed to go. We just decided to mutually part ways."

Johson's firing comes amid a wave of negative news hitting Bishop Sycamore. The school's legitimacy has come into question, with details such as it not being listed on the Ohio Athletic Association's directory of schools and instead being a part of the Texas Christian Athletic League being reported since Sunday's game.

ESPN announcers claimed Bishop Sycamore told them it boasted numerous Division I prospects and was on a similar competitive plane to the perennially talented IMG Academy. That information quickly proved to be false. 

"Bishop Sycamore told us they had a number of Division I prospects on their roster, and to be frank, a lot of that, we could not verify," ESPN play-by-play announcer Anish Shroff told USA Today. "They did not show up in our database, they did not show up in the databases of other recruiting services. So, OK, that's what you're telling us, fine, that's how we take it in. From what we've seen so far, this is not a fair fight, and there's got to be a point where you're worried about health and safety."

More unfair fights could be ahead for Bishop Sycamore. The school is slated to play two additional powerhouse programs in Duncanville (Ky.) and St. Thomas More (Conn.). DeMatha (Md.) was also scheduled to play the Centurions, but it canceled the game set for Oct. 1, citing eligibility concerns. 

Also on Tuesday, Ohio governor Mike DeWine commented on the situation, saying the Ohio Department of Education will launch an investigation into the school.

If Bishop Sycamore continues to play football, a new coach will lead the team into its daunting schedule, as Peterson reportedly told Johnson's assistants he was looking for a replacement.