High school athletics can bring out a lot of emotion, particularly for seniors with a lot on the line. Not all of that emotion is positive, however, as a football player at Sutter Union (Calif.) High School demonstrated after his team was defeated Dec. 1 in the Northern Section Championship title game by West Valley High School.
Television station KCRA reports that the player, who was not identified in media reports, was caught on video destroying a chair in the opposing team’s locker room using what was supposed to be a sideline prop — a sledgehammer.
Reporter Joe Khalil released social media video of the incident with the player’s face blurred.
In a statement, Sutter Union superintendent and principal Ryan Robison said the player’s actions would not be tolerated. “It’s not what we stand for,” Robison said.
“When you lose, you have to lose graciously and there’s a right and a wrong way to handle things,” Robison said. “How this young man handled it was wrong.”
Robison said that the player responsible has accepted responsibility and is working to raise money to cover the damage.
