High School League should review policy on penalties

By Walter Brown - Special to The Herald

Having observed over the past years the rulings of the High School League on various infractions by athletic teams throughout the state, I find that they are very inconsistent in the penalties placed on teams. When the fight occurred between Northwestern High School in Rock Hill and the Marlboro football teams they were both placed on probation and barred from the playoffs. During this fight a player was observed swinging a helmet.

A fracas occurred in a basketball game between Indian Land and another school. Once again, teams were placed on probation and not allowed to participate in the playoffs. The Blythewood football program was placed on probation for violation of practice rules (not in the required timeframe). Wilson and Lake City football teams were placed on probation for a fracas during a game and not allowed to participation in regional or state playoffs. Boiling Springs has been placed on probation and barred from regional and state playoffs. This, for allowing an eighth grade student to participate in a varsity practice. There are, no doubt, other schools and teams that have received the same punishment as those listed.

Now, take a look at the Summerville High School football program. A fracas between Fort Dorchester and Summerville on the field after the last game of the year resulted in a warning to both teams. The two teams then met the following week in the first round of the playoffs. Summerville was found to be retaining athletes in the eighth-grade to allow an additional year of maturity prior to entering high school. No probation!

At a seven-on-seven camp at the University of South Carolina this summer, the rumor is that Summerville also was involved in an altercation or fracas. Is there a pattern here? Summerville and Stratford are involved in a fracas and only receive warnings.

The videos of the fracas clearly show a uniformed security guard or policeman being taken to the ground. A video now on YouTube shows a Summerville player entering from the left of the screen with helmet in hand and apparently swinging it. I believe that comments in the YouTube video by John McKissick are very critical of the League and possibly violate the intent of rule on A-29, paragraph 4. It appears rather strange that in the post-game meeting Summerville players lined up on both sides of the Stratford players. The common practice at most events is for the team to line up single file for the handshake. A way to intimidate the Stratford team perhaps?

How many warnings does Summerville pile up before probation is applied?

On page A-29 of the High School League Constitution, paragraph 10, “Handling a Fracas,” the final sentence reads: “All cameramen must be instructed to keep the camera running and film the entire fracas. This is vital to our investigation of the responsible parties.”

The Summerville coach was quoted in the paper that he had instructed his camera crew to quit filming at the end of the contest and come down on the field. He was also critical of the league rule requiring the shaking of hands after a football game. While this falls short of making degrading/critical remarks about officials as stated in A-29, paragraph 4, it certainly directs the remarks at the league.

An in-depth review of penalties handed out needs to be made. It has become apparent that the same rules do not apply across the board as evidenced by those handed out to Summerville.