By Ryan Deal 

605 Sports

It states in the SDHSAA handbook: “All fans will be expected to remain off the playing floor until after the awarding of medals and trophies. Failure to remain off the playing floor will result in the offending team not being recognized by the public address announcer. Medals and trophy will be awarded to school personnel following the awards ceremony. Fans will be allowed on to the playing floor following the presentation of all awards.”

Despite the policy, Sioux Falls Christian received its trophy and medals during the awards ceremony. SDHSAA Executive Director Dan Swartos, who was at the game, takes responsibility for not following procedure. 

“What our policy says and what was supposed to happen was that Sioux Falls Christian still gets first place,” Swartos said. “But we were supposed to wait to give them their trophy and medals until after the awards ceremony and that didn't happen and that’s my fault. It’s not an excuse but it was chaotic and it was a really charged atmosphere obviously.”

Swartos admitted someone did inform him about the policy, but in midst of the chaos the Chargers were still awarded their trophy and medals. 

“We were set to start and we just went with it, and again I take responsibility for that and I apologize for that, that our policy wasn't followed on that,” Swartos said. “But there wasn't any extra technical foul or any shots that were supposed to occur after the court rushing or anything like that.”

The play erupted on social media, including fans posting an image that incorrectly states Mahpiya Luta should have been awarded technical free throws. The image incorrectly states: “In SDHSAA basketball, storming the court after a game is a technical foul that results in a free throw for the opposing team, and potentially further penalties for the coach and/or players involved.”

Swartos also addressed the incorrect verbiage of the image. 

“I did see yesterday and the other night it looks like someone did a search engine and did a search on whether that should be a technical foul or not and it was an AI generated response,” Swartos said. “That is not correct. It is not a technical foul for rushing the court.” 

The fans were ushered off the court as a review was administered, but it was confirmed the basket stood. During state tournament and postseason games it is announced that fans and media are not allowed onto the court until after the awards ceremony. Swartos said it was announced during the state championship game, but the Charger student body still swarmed onto the court.  

“Their administration is supposed to keep them back and it just didn't happen,” Swartos said. “We don't want that to happen because there’s safety involved for the kids for both teams. … With everything else that was going on I didn't follow our policy and that’s on me. But that doesn't change the outcome of the contest. There weren't supposed to be technical foul shots or anything like that.”

The entertaining contest was also played in front of a full capacity crowd at the Donald E. Young Center. But it’s being overshadowed by the aftermath and incorrect information about the SDHSAA’s policies, added Swartos. 

“It was as loud of an environment that I have ever been a part of,” Swartos said. “It was an excellent, tight game from start to finish. It is unfortunate that some of the discourse around it has taken away from some of that.”