Principal Craig Zeck spoke on the record, but referred me to McCombs for an official athlete count. McCombs did not return repeated calls by deadline. We've been hitting it head on and dealing with it. A second offense may result in a suspension for the current season or longer and a third violation ends your high school athletic career. Spring athletes received their suspensions and others will serve theirs during next year's fall and winter seasons.
Athletes can reduce their suspensions by completing a counseling program at a treatment facility.
The identified students in non-athletic activities, who were involved in much fewer numbers than athletes and those not involved in extracurricular activities, are also being disciplined. While an impending provision prohibiting being at an alcohol party even if the athlete doesn't imbibe has yet to be made a part of the code, the presence at a drinking party did violate verbal warnings and at least the rules of one coach. Two athletes were suspended for three games for being at a party even though they were not seen on the video drinking. These parties were not merely kids hanging out and experimenting with alcohol by drinking a couple beers, an illegal act as it is. According to the coaches, these were hard-core drinking parties.