WASHINGTON 鈥斅燛ighteen D.C. high school football players aren’t permitted to play in the marquee Turkey Bowl game this year after their involvement in an on-field brawl with Eastern Senior High School players during a Nov. 11 game.
Eighteen H.D. Woodson High School students and seven Eastern Senior High School students were suspended for one game after聽engaging in a聽fight on the field during a Nov. 11 football game, said D.C. Public Schools spokeswoman聽Kristina Saccone. H.D. Woodson went on to win the game,聽sending the team聽to the 2017 Turkey Bowl Football Championship; the Eastern loss ended the team’s season.
District of Columbia Interscholastic Athletic Association聽staff reviewed the game tapes and identified the players involved in the fight,聽DCIAA Executive Director Diana Parente said in a letter聽that went out to the Woodson community Wednesday.
The 18 Woodson players identified聽will not be able to play in the Turkey Bowl against Ballou High School on Thanksgiving聽Day.聽The Eastern students will be disqualified for one game next season, Parente said.
“The DCIAA staff, the H.D. Woodson High School football coaches, and DCPS officials are committed to working with the players involved to help prevent incidents like this in the future. The safety of our student-athletes is paramount at all times,” Parente聽wrote in the letter.
The annual Turkey Bowl is an event that brings the community together and will be reserved for players who demonstrate sportsmanlike conduct, Parente wrote in the letter.
“The DCIAA wants to ensure that the players who did not engage in the physical altercation are able to play next week while also holding our student-athletes to the highest standard when it comes to personal conduct.”
