Brawl ends city high school football season | News, Sports, Jobs

YOUNGSTOWN — For the city’s high school students, football season is over.

Youngstown City School District officials issued a press release Monday announcing the cancellation of the remaining high school games due to student-athlete behavior.

“(YCSD) announces the end of the high school football season, effective immediately, due to concerns and behavior that is inconsistent with the district’s mission and vision,” the release states. “While this decision was not made lightly, it is made with full confidence in our commitment to setting a standard of excellence for our students.”

District authorities did not provide specific reasons for the decision and declined to answer any questions.

However, a Facebook post by neighborhood resident Lisha Wilson points to an incident that occurred during a high school football game last Wednesday at Judge William Rayen Stadium on the city’s North Side.

Wilson said that after East lost to Chaney, a fight broke out.

Wilson — whose daughter is a cheerleader at Chaney Middle School — is the only source The Vindicator could reach with knowledge of the incident. While she said police were involved, the Youngstown Police Department report only stated that a fight broke out between East and Chaney players that day.

Wilson said that after the game, as Chaney was being presented with the trophy, several East students vandalized Chaney’s locker room, destroyed property and stole money and personal items.

She added that when Chaney’s players discovered this, they tried to respond with violence, and that police and coaches had only partial success in de-escalating the violence.

It is not known who was injured in the incident or how serious the injuries were, but Wilson said she does not believe any weapons were involved. The police report states that the parties involved refused medical attention.

The report does not indicate any criminal charges have been filed.

Wilson said the atmosphere was already bad leading up to the game, as the Chaney volleyball team allegedly vandalized the East locker room days before the game.

Facebook posts by two other parents, both from East, confirm Wilson’s words and indicate the volleyball team’s season has not been canceled.

Wilson said her daughter was so upset by the incident that she left school.

“My daughter… was present that night and witnessed the chaos, the fighting and the police intervention. She was in shock because she had never been exposed to that level of violence,” Wilson said. “It breaks my heart that these kids apparently see no value in sports, competition or healthy rivalry. Instead, we live in a time and area that seems to encourage violence at the expense of community, unity and shared experiences. These games should be moments to come together, regardless of the schools we represent.”

In a Facebook post Thursday, Wilson appealed to the school to take action, and the district responded and asked her to contact them directly.

Wilson said she has not yet spoken to district officials but does not agree with canceling the entire season.

“Suspending students who were involved in an altercation would teach responsibility, but punishing those who weren’t involved sends the wrong message,” she said. “We shouldn’t punish kids for things they can’t control, nor should we take away one of their few positive outlets for expressing their emotions.”

The release said officials will use the rest of the school year to re-evaluate the high school football program, working with coaches, students and families.

“We are committed to developing well-rounded scholars who exemplify the highest standards of conduct both on and off the field,” Superintendent Jeremy Batchelor said in a news release. “This decision underscores our determination to ensure our programs reflect the best values ​​of our district.”

Both East and Chaney had three games left to play — East with Canfield, Struthers and Boardman, and Chaney with Boardman, St. Charles and Warren.