St. Frances Academy coach Messay Hailemariam speaks out on canceled IMG Academy game

News broke Friday morning from IMG Academy (Fla.), the No. 1 ranked team via the latest Rivals Composite Top 25 High School Football Rankings, that the highly anticipated game with No. 2 St. Frances Academy (Md.) that was supposed to be played tonight and then later rescheduled, would not be happening any longer per a statement released by the Ascenders.

IMG Academy officials sent Rivals a statement this past Wednesday that the contest between the Ascenders and Panthers was not being played this week as scheduled and they provided the following statement:

“We can confirm the game between IMG Academy and St. Frances Academy will not be played as scheduled. We will provide updates as they’re available.”

Now with the game not happening at all, one person that’s frustrated and disappointed with the end result is Panthers head coach Messay Hailemariam, who spoke with Rivals on Friday morning regarding the IMG Academy matchup being called off.

“The word disappointment, for me, is really not as important as how disappointing it is for our players,” Hailemariam said. “You know, (the players) get the opportunity for the first time in history. We’re number one in the country. We get to face somebody that’s a formidable opponent and really play or at least compete for an opportunity to be national champion, and (IMG Academy) decides to walk away from something they knew about way before this date. So what had been planned, it had been processed, and they can’t give any excuse, and that’s what it’s called. An excuse. It’s exactly what they tell the world about people to them about not wanting to play them.

“But I think this shows you that, money, resources can’t necessarily buy team chemistry and it creates for an environment that’s not worth sending your child to. I’ll be honest with you, because for them to make a decision based on their success as an institution as opposed to the success of the young people that are willing to compete, for me, it makes me think twice about having to put our kids in these type of situations again.”

The series between IMG Academy-St. Frances Academy is currently tied at 3-all between the two nationally ranked programs as they first started playing each other back in 2016. Since then, the longest a team has won consecutively is twice, with the Panthers winning in 2019 & 2021 and the Ascenders in 2022 and 2023.

Last year’s meeting was played in Baltimore, with St. Frances Academy handing IMG Academy its second loss of the season, a crushing 30-3 defeat. Now, the Ascenders-Panthers rivalry series moving forward is in serious jeopardy, according to Hailemariam.

“Absolutely. (IMG Academy) thought about themselves only,” Hailemariam said when asked if not playing IMG Academy in the future was on the table.

“You know, (IMG Academy) didn’t consider us whatsoever or the team or our school. They just worried about themselves, which is a very selfish and an incredibly disrespectful approach to this whole process. They made a decision with what, 24 hours, 12 hours, didn’t even get a chance to speak to myself or anybody from our school and to make a one-sided decision. I think the organization, the GM, the Director of Football ops, the head coach should be ashamed of themselves. That is not what competition is about. Competition is about understanding the process of competing, whether it’s to lose or win, but also think about the other team, not just yourselves. So they can’t sit here and try to take the high road when they literally did everything the wrong way.”

What kind of spotlight this could have been for the high school football world, especially with numerous rankings featuring both teams within the Top 3-5 teams in the country, would’ve brought together one of the closest things to a high school football national championship game possible.

Now with the contest officially off the table between St. Frances Academy and IMG Academy, all Hailemariam sees is a missed opportunity for the players who might’ve needed just a little bit more film or hoping to play one more game for a mythical national championship.

“It’s very disheartening. Our players were looking forward to it,” Hailemariam added. “When I sent them the message this morning about what was actually officially happening, they were like the one year we become number one, (IMG Academy) decided not to play. My players are willing to commit to the cause, the team, the process, not their individual. They’re thinking and considering the younger adults. The underclassmen that need them to be able to finish the season.

“So that’s what you want to prepare kids to be at the collegiate level end or the pro level. But that whole setup is a completely selfish environment because it showed in this process. It showed that it’s not about team. It’s not about chemistry. It’s not about brotherhood. All that is a facade, because if they can’t stay and compete and allow themselves to be successful as a group and just worry about individuals and not even consider the players on St. Frances, to me, that’s not what we are striving to be in high school competition or even at the collegiate level. That’s what’s hurting the sport in general. All these rankings, the people that do it that has them at number one, not even close. They haven’t competed or played against anyone that they should consider a national opponent. We were the first national opponent, in my opinion, that they were facing. But again, I wish them luck. It’s very hard to come back from this, for me, because I don’t ever want to put our kids in this type of situation, our school.”

How to Follow National High School Football

For national high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals National High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the state, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals National High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the country.