Posted on 10/12/2004 9:18:22 PM PDT by Diddle E. Squat
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The arrest of two high school football players is causing a lot of controversy in Collin County.
Collin County sheriff's deputies arrested Lionel Bayiha and Nathan Dawson in Anna on Friday night as the Leonard team bus arrived for the game between the schools' football teams.
The teens were arrested on assault charges stemming from a fight after a game the week before. One man, 19-year-old David Garcia, was reportedly injured in that fight after being struck in the head with a metal bar. Garcia was reportedly hosting a party at his house in Blue Ridge at the time of the assault.
The teens were taken into custody at 6 p.m. Friday, shortly before the scheduled 7:30 kickoff. The boys were back in the locker room at halftime however after being released on $1,500 bail each.
Bayiha and Dawson suited up and joined the team on the field for the second half and even led the team to a 21-14 come-from-behind win. Bayiha scored Leonard's winning touchdown with three just minutes left in the game.
Now, their coach raises questions about the timing of the arrest.
"The only two people that have been arrested are the two black athletes from Leonard, not the white kids from Leonard, not the kids from Blue Ridge, not anybody else -- just the two black kids from Leonard," said head coach Gerald James. "Now that looks like that was singled out. They could have chose to serve those warrants from Monday to Friday, and they chose to do that at 6 o'clock on Friday."
James defended his position on allowing the boys to play in the game after their release from jail saying: "From the information that we got, they were charged with a misdemeanor assault which could be anything from a fight to slapping somebody to anything else. No other kids were served that night, and to my knowledge nobody else has been arrested to this point. And, I know there was at least 10-15 involved in that deal."
The coach says the boys will remain on the team and were made to run 10 miles. The superintendent adds that since the incident took place off of school property and was only a misdemeanor that the school district will not be taking any action on the teens.
James said his team is now 6-0 and after breaking a 26-game losing streak and that their record is adding fuel to the bad blood between schools.
bump
In Waxahachie some football players assaulted a teacher over a grade. I wonder if they made bail for the game?
Texas high school football.
Incidentally, Thursday ESPN will broadcast Southlake Carroll (#1 team in the country) vs. Denton Ryan (#9 team in the country).
Borth are Dallas-area teams.
Correction: Denton-Ryan is #14
"In Waxahachie some football players assaulted a teacher over a grade"
I think that was actually in Midlothian, not Waxahachie.
Hey. well, I should have said 'Ellis County'.
Denton is closer to Fort Worth and Southlake is... burning money... sorry Mr. Mayor
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