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As much as the community loves high school football — talking about it, assessing the players, attending by the tens of thousands the games each Friday night, the basic truth remains the same.
Football is a game.
But when allegations of cheating are tossed into the mix, football becomes more than a game. It becomes serious.
Such accusations question a team and its coaches’ ethics. They cast doubt on a team’s sense of fair play. Yes, football is about winning, especially in a town with two nicknames dedicated to victories, but even in Winnersville and TitleTown, football is also about building character and deepening bonds in South Georgia families that share a multi-generational experience with regional teams. Football is about the idea of excellence.
Accusations of cheating undermine those ideals and the very essence of tradition in TitleTown and Winnersville.
Not only that, such accusations can jeopardize careers, uproot families and threaten players’ abilities to move onward to college and college sports.
So, cheating allegations should not be made lightly. They should be backed by more than words or uncertain recordings.
These accusations should be made with hard evidence.
Last week, following the Lowndes High Vikings game against Colquitt County, the Packers coach accused the Vikings coaches of cheating. He alleged a former Thomas County Central middle school coach fed Vikings coaches the Packers’ offensive signals throughout the game. A YouTube recording reveals a man in the stands carrying binoculars and occasionally looking to the Lowndes coaches in the press box.
Lowndes High head coach Randy McPherson has said the accusations are untrue. Lowndes County Schools Superintendent Wes Taylor called the accusations “asinine.” The Georgia High School Association’s executive director said earlier this week that the Vikings’ 17-14 win over the Packers will not be overturned.
On Thursday, Lowndes High received official notice of an investigation into the charges.
Accusations of cheating should be taken seriously, but such accusations should not be made without solid proof of cheating.
If coaches or a team are cheating, they should face penalties. However, if coaches are found to make frivolous claims of cheating against another team, perhaps the accusers should be penalized instead.
What We Think
Football: Who’s cheating whom?
- What We Think
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THUMBS UP: To Dr. John Gaston, retiring dean of Valdosta State University’s College of the Arts. For the past 10-plus years, Gaston has worked to build a more interconnected program with various artistic and communications departments working together. Given that you are likely to see one College of the Arts department collaborating with another during events is proof of Gaston’s success.
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On the go this weekend
Take a breath.
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Sharing the roads with motorcycles
With the recent pleasant temperatures and sunny skies, the number of motorcycles on area roads has increased.
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Thank your local law enforcement today
Today, May 15, was designated Peace Officers Memorial Day back in 1962 when President John F. Kennedy was in office.
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Visit musical roots this weekend
Beginning Saturday, May 18, Nashville, Ga., will be hosting a special Smithsonian exhibit, “New Harmonies: Celebrating American Roots Music.” The exhibit will continue through the end of June and Nashville has done a tremendous job in promoting and planning for the exhibit.
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Happy Mother’s Day!
A few years ago, a television commercial asked, Who first believed in you? Many folks may have instinctively answered by simply saying, Mom.
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THUMBS UP: To mail workers, volunteers and food bank staff for gathering food for the annual Stamp Out Hunger postal food drive today. A plastic bag designated for canned goods and other non-perishable food items should have arrived in your mailbox earlier this week. If you haven’t already, take a few moments to fill the bag with food and hang from your mailbox. If you didn’t receive the special Stamp Out Hunger bag, any plastic bag filled with food will do. This food drive helps feed thousands of South Georgians annually. Valdosta-Lowndes County often donates more food than nearly all other cities and counties in Georgia.
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Celebrating nurses
She is considered the founder of modern nursing so it seems only natural that National Nurses Week would include Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
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Helping the hungry: Mail it in!
Valdosta-Lowndes County continues revealing its generous spirit.
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New school scoring system
The first year of any new program is always a tough one.
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