UKIAH — Three weeks after a video posted to social media appeared to depict a disturbing hazing incident in its locker room, the Antioch High School football team marched off its charter bus, two by two, ready to compete in the North Coast Section’s Division III playoffs.
Principal John Jimno and athletic director Brett Dudley were on the sidelines Friday night as the fourth-seeded Panthers’ season came to an end in a 26-15 loss to No. 5 Ukiah, but both administrators declined to address the incident, the school’s response or why the team was allowed to continue its season.
Dudley, who is also the head coach, conceded after the loss, “I think the situation has been hard on everyone.”
In the 34-second clip, a teenager is shown lying on the ground, screaming, as at least a half dozen other boys surround him, laughing. The victim attempts to crawl away and then assumes the fetal position as the other boys pour fluid on him, kick and punch him, throw equipment and other debris, and attempt to pull his shorts off.
The video made the rounds in the high school football community to the degree that the head coach at Ukiah, three hours away, had seen it, calling it “unfortunate,” and made it the scuttlebutt in the home team’s cheering section. Yet, the NCS commissioner, Pat Cruickshank, told this news organization that he had not seen the video and deferred to the Antioch school district when questioned about seeding them in the section tournament.
In a letter the morning after the incident obtained by this news organization, Jimno wrote that “a significant portion” of the team had participated and informed the school’s families that it would forfeit its Oct. 31 game against Liberty. However, the team was back in action a week later, falling 56-3 at Pittsburg, and on Thursday, a day before their playoff game at Ukiah, Jimno sent a second letter with notably different details.
An investigation, which is still ongoing, had identified “many of the players involved,” as well as a coach “who potentially had a supervisory responsibility,” and “appropriate disciplinary measures” had been taken. The letter did not specify the punishment for those involved, citing “privacy and confidentiality,” but added that the entire team participated in a “restorative circle” and received anti-bullying training.
Jimno also praised “the commendable leadership demonstrated by some members of the football team,” who “recognized the inappropriateness of the incident, and despite the difficulty of speaking up, came forward and took responsibility.”
The visiting stands Friday were sparsely filled with about two dozen supporters, including Susan Ross, who disputed the initial characterization that much of the team took part. Ross, who identified herself as a mother of a player but declined to say whom, said that “80 percent of that team was not involved” and that “80 percent of these young men are good young men” but “you’ve got a few bad apples … and that bunch has been removed.”
The Bay Area News Group could not independently confirm the specifics of any disciplinary actions, but the Panthers’ roster on MaxPreps lists 47 players; there were 39 in uniform Friday night, including a number who were called up from the junior varsity and freshman teams.
Another Antioch supporter, who identified himself as a student at the school, suggested that the forfeit to Liberty was too harsh a punishment for “normal football stuff” that was blown out of proportion because the video leaked. His friend nodded along beside him.
A father of another player believed the players crossed a line by trying to remove the boy’s shorts but was satisfied by the school’s response. He empathized with the parents of the victim, adding, “If that was my kid, I would have been at the school (immediately).”
The overwhelming sentiment was a desire to return the focus to football in a season that once looked promising but derailed once the video went public. After finishing last season 5-6, the Panthers were 7-1 entering the game against Liberty. Including the forfeit, they lost their final three contests to finish 7-4.
“The backlash is killing the morale; the backlash is killing us as parents,” Ross said. “I just wish the public would not crucify the children. Because these are children. … They really just want to play their game. It might be their last of their careers. Some of these young men are seniors. They might never play football again.”
It was an emotional scene afterward with more than a couple players breaking down as Dudley addressed the group. Antioch pulled ahead 15-12 midway through the third quarter on sophomore quarterback Joshua Mason’s second rushing touchdown of the game. But the Panthers’ offense was forced off the field on fourth down five times, their defense was torched for two touchdowns of 40-plus yards and they surrendered 14 unanswered points to end their season.
“It’s a tough way to end the season,” Dudley said. “I’m proud of the kids that I have on my team. I think I have some wonderful kids on this team, some wonderful student-athletes. We had a very high team GPA this year. I understand how things in the media have been. But I do truly believe that the majority of my team are awesome, wonderful human beings.”