October 1, 2013
Football Coaches, Players Suspended, Teams Placed on Probation
Following multiple incidents of unsportsmanlike behavior during last Friday’s football game between Fort Wayne South Side High School and Indianapolis Arsenal Technical High School, IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox has placed both teams on probation and suspended several players and coaches.
Both programs are placed on probation for the remainder of the 2013 season and all of the 2014 season. Probation is official notice that serious violations have occurred, are a matter of record and future, similar incidents will not be tolerated.
Both head coaches, Emil Ekyior of Arsenal Technical and Eddie Fields of South Side, are suspended for their next varsity football game.
Arsenal Technical assistant coach Angelo Muhammad and South Side assistant coach Dan Muchler are both suspended for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.
Student-athletes as identified by each school shall be suspended for one contest for their roles in this exchange and their suspensions may be spread over the remaining three regular season contests.
In addition, all members of both coaching staffs shall complete the NFHS Sportsmanship Course and the NFHS Teaching and Modeling Behavior Course prior to the beginning of the state football tournament series to maintain their eligibility to coach in the tournament. Both schools shall provide certification of completion of these courses to the IHSAA prior to October 25, 2013.
All varsity student-athletes present at this contest shall also complete the NFHS Sportsmanship Course prior to the beginning of the state tournament series to maintain their eligibility in the tournament. Both schools shall provide certification of completion of these courses to the IHSAA prior to October 25, 2013.
As part of their probation, the IHSAA will have a designee present at the remaining varsity football contests of both schools to observe the behaviors and demeanor of both coaches and student-athletes.
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About the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA)
Founded in 1903, the purpose of the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc. (IHSAA) is to encourage, regulate and give direction to wholesome amateur interschool athletic competition between its 412 member schools. The Association provides state championship tournament series in 20 sports, 10 for girls and 10 for boys. Approximately 160,000 student athletes participate in IHSAA sports on an annual basis.
IHSAA 13-14/5