WHAT?
RIDICULOUS! I'm too furious. I don't know what to say.
___________________________________________The sports programs at Dallas and Williamsport high schools have been placed on probation until the end of the school year by the PIAA District 2 and District 4, the direct result of a brawl between the schools’ football teams on Aug. 30, The Citizens’ Voice has learned.
District 2 and District 4 held a joint hearing Thursday at Lake-Lehman High School at which time both schools presented their version of the brawl.
Although PIAA and Dallas officials will not comment on the action, The Citizens’ Voice obtained a memo written by Dallas superintendent Frank Galicki to members of the school board outlining the action taken against each school by the committees.
In addition to the probation, both schools will be publicly censored and each school’s football program will be placed on probation for two years.
However, school probation until June is the most severe at the present since it will involve all the sports teams at both schools. Should there be an incident involving any team in any sport from either, they could face additional PIAA discipline which not only could include the forfeiture of games, but the suspension of the sports program.
In response to the meeting, Dallas administrators called an assembly of its athletes on Friday morning at which time all possible ramifications were discussed, the Voice has learned.
According to the account of the game in the Aug. 31 edition of The Sunday Voice, the brawl erupted in the fourth quarter after a Williamsport player recovered a fumble. Another Williamsport player was penalized for taunting at which time some pushing and shoving ensued. Both benches emptied and several skirmishes broke out near midfield.
When all was said and done, Williamsport was whistled for the taunting penalty and both benches received unsportsmanlike penalties.
Both teams had two players ejected from the game and both teams were sent to their benches and the officials tried to sort things out. The officials then penalized Dallas coach Ted Jackson with a 5-yard penalty for a sideline infraction and a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after he said all he was trying to do was get his team back on the field after being told to do so by the officials.
The memo also indicates the administration from each school must institute sportsmanship programs and provide to the committee plans that outline lockerroom-to-lockerroom supervision on game days for all sports.
In addition, a weekly game report must be completed by the referee documenting coaches’ behavior and submitted to the district chairperson.