Sycamore High School will be without Silvio Rizzo during its next high school football game in the state of Tennessee. He will be suspended after an ejection.
The senior middle linebacker and running back made the most bizarre player of the year thus far.
Rizzo came off of the sideline on a play he was not part of to tackle an opponent on his way to the end zone for an easy touchdown. The high school football officiating crew immediately removed him from the contest.
Sycamore left the sideline to prevent a Fairview touchdown.
Sycamore High School and Fairview High School are separated by approximately 40 miles in middle Tennessee. They are both located in suburbs of Nashville.
The War Eagles entered Friday night’s game at 3-2. The Yellow Jackets entered at 4-1. It was a huge game in the Region 6-3A division of Tennessee high school football.
Although Sycamore ultimately went on to beat Fairview by one point, it was the latter who struck first on a truly bizarre touchdown during the second quarter. Technically speaking, the ball never crossed the goal line. The ball-carrier did not enter into the end zone. He did not find pay dirt, as the saying goes.
Yellow Jackets defensive back Gage Proctor picked off a high-arcing pass to the sideline and took off running. There was nothing but green grass in front of him. The nearest War Eagles player was the quarterback who threw the interception, who was still standing in the backfield.
Proctor was going to score, easily, until he was suddenly brought down out of absolutely nowhere.
Rizzo made a textbook tackle on the defensive back. There was only one problem. He was not one of the 11 defensive players on the field for Sycamore. He came off of the sideline!
Fairview 6, Sycamore 0
— Chris Brooks (@Brooks_615) September 27, 2025
8:23 2nd
Bizarre play here as Sycamore's Silvio Rizzo comes off the sideline and tackles Fairview's Gage Proctor after an interception. Looked like a certain pick-6. Yellow Jackets awarded a TD, Rizzo ejected. pic.twitter.com/tfiZLABhv4
I have watched a lot of football in my day. That is a first.
High school football rules call for a suspension.
Even though Silvio Rizzo prevented the Fairview player from scoring, officials awarded the touchdown anyway. They also ejected the rogue defender from the game.
Fairview head coach Chris Hughes could not believe what he saw.
“Shocked,” he told The Tennesseean. “[Rizzo] is a good. He’s one of their best. Made a bad decision.”
Sycamore head coach John Harrison was equally as baffled by what happened.
“Honestly, I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Yes, he came off the sidelines and made a tackle after an interception.”
Per Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association rules, Rizzo’s ejection will also cost him his next game on a one-game suspension. The War Eagles will be without him during their next game on Oct. 3.