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Leesville Road v New Hanover. Unethical Decision by LR?

btango

Well-Known Member
Nov 5, 2003
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Shooting at New Hanover HS Monday (Mt Tabor had one, also).

Game scheduled for Thursday at LR. NH only practiced Wednesday due to the shooting and subsequent shutdown by the county Monday and Tuesday.

NH requests the game be moved to Friday. LR responds they would not have enough people/volunteers to work the game on Friday and it had to be played Thursday.

NH did not travel for the game and received a forfeit. They played Carolina Forest (SC) Friday night and lost by 28. Carolina Forest is solid and player Dutch Fork fairly close in the last two playoffs.
NH now counts a forfeit and a loss for this week. They now must cancel their game with Fike that was to replace the New Bern game that was cancelled.

What are the scheduled open dates for the two teams?

I would like to hear from anyone that has more in-depth information especially anyone with inside info from LR.

I think LR should have figured out a way to make it happen. A school shooting is a huge issue and I would think LR would have figured out a way to make it work.

I do not agree that under these circumstances it should be a forfeit for NH. Puts Fike in a bad situation, also.



 
NH next game is 9/17 against N. Brunswick. NH has been through a tough go since spring football. They only played 4 games in the spring due to covid then have to cancel week 1 this season for the same reason. Then the shooting at school shuts things down. If LR did not do all they could to make this game happen then they have no class. Maybe they did and things just couldn’t be worked out but if they didn’t shame on them. Things have a way of coming full circle so…….
As for the shooting, it is truly a bad situation. A lot of info is coming out now about the shooter being bullied and attacked before the shooting. The father even showed up at school 30 mins before the shooting to check on his son. Shooting is not the answer here but the kid may have feared for his life. Who knows. A lot of needed changes coming to NH Co schools.
 
Mt. Tabor canceled school and all activities for Thursday and Friday. Going back to school on Tuesday. They were scheduled to play Page yesterday, but it worked out that both schools had byes next week so was rescheduled.
 
I don’t know how the referee situation is down east, but I know that there is a shortage to some extent up here in the Piedmont Triad. Several teams had to move a JV game to Wednesday and Varsity to Thursday So that there would still be availability on Friday.

Is it possible that this was a factor in the decision not to move the game? Just offering suggestions. I doubt that “unethical” comes into play in this situation.
 
I don’t know how the referee situation is down east, but I know that there is a shortage to some extent up here in the Piedmont Triad. Several teams had to move a JV game to Wednesday and Varsity to Thursday So that there would still be availability on Friday.

Is it possible that this was a factor in the decision not to move the game? Just offering suggestions. I doubt that “unethical” comes into play in this situation.
Then just cancel the game. Don’t force the forfeit under these conditions.
 
I’m calling Leeville Rd out bc How much Class and Compassion are you showing here? I guess a Football win means more to them than someone life. I have 0 sympathy for Leeville Road. To me they public enemy #1 - It’s just shows what type people they are and What they are teaching those kids there…. Smh
 
Could Leesville Road not have agreed to the game being cancelled and not result in the forfeit?
Now NH can’t play a game they had recently scheduled for this coming Friday to make up the cancelled New Bern game because that would give them 11 games.
 
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Was told a few more tidbits from some folks. Leesville Road wanted the $2,500 cancellation guarantee but accepted NH traveling to them next year to make it up.

Let's hear their side and I do not want to hear we had a "contract." If NH would have been in COVID protocol through Thursday but could have played the next day would LR have made the game up? If NH had one player "test" positive for COVID they could have cancelled without the forfeit of the game or guarantee.
 
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New Hanover could not practice on Monday and Tuesday by order of the school system following the shooting on Monday. Due to high temperatures on Wednesday, they could only practice an hour and they spent their time checking on the mental condition of their players and making sure everyone was mentally stable. That is EXACTLY what a good coaching staff would do. They simply were not ready to play as scheduled on Thursday as a result of CIRCUMSTANCES COMPLETELY OUT OF THEIR CONTROL. New Hanover has played difficult non-conference schedules and has never dodged anyone. They were not dodging Leesville Road as evidenced by the fact that they scheduled a very good Carolina Forest team on Friday. New Hanover was willing to play Leesville Road on Friday. They just wanted the opportunity to have one meaningful practice on Thursday before playing. When New Hanover and Leesville Road could not work out a Friday game, Leesville Road insisted on a forfeit based on breach of the contract and the NCHSAA refused to intervene. As a result of the forfeit, New Hanover has to count the Leesville Road game as a loss and they can’t play Fike this upcoming Friday as a replacement game for the New Bern game New Hanover lost in week 1 due to COVID. The New Hanover kids have been punished by Leesville Road and the NCHSAA has watched it happen. This is a great example of poor sportsmanship by Leesville Road and poor leadership by the NCHSAA.
 
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New Hanover could not practice on Monday and Tuesday by order of the school system following the shooting on Monday. Due to high temperatures on Wednesday, they could only practice an hour and they spent their time checking on the mental condition of their players and making sure everyone was mentally stable. That is EXACTLY what a good coaching staff would do. They simply were not ready to play as scheduled on Thursday as a result of CIRCUMSTANCES COMPLETELY OUT OF THEIR CONTROL. New Hanover has played difficult non-conference schedules and has never dodged anyone. They were not dodging Leesville Road as evidenced by the fact that they scheduled a very good Carolina Forest team on Friday. New Hanover was willing to play Leesville Road on Friday. They just wanted the opportunity to have one meaningful practice on Thursday before playing. When New Hanover and Leesville Road could not work out a Friday game, Leesville Road insisted on a forfeit based on breach of the contract and the NCHSAA refused to intervene. As a result of the forfeit, New Hanover has to count the Leesville Road game as a loss and they can’t play Fike this upcoming Friday as a replacement game for the New Bern game New Hanover lost in week 1 due to COVID. The New Hanover kids have been punished by Leesville Road and the NCHSAA has watched it happen. This is a great example of poor sportsmanship by Leesville Road and poor leadership by the NCHSAA.

That’s terrible all the way around
 
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Still Magnolia, do you have any info on some teams working their schedule so that NH could have September 24th open which is Leesville Road’s open date.
 
Still Magnolia, do you have any info on some teams working their schedule so that NH could have September 24th open which is Leesville Road’s open date.
I have not heard that. It would take NHHS moving a conference game on 9/24 to next week but I suppose that is a possibility. I know NHHS wants a third game and with a forfeit to Leesville Road they can’t get one. If Leesville Road and NHHS can get it figured out then that would be great.
 
Did LR request the $2,500 contracted forfeit penalty? Did further discussions lead LR to accept NH’s offer to travel their next year instead of playing the game at NH per said contract

LR has an open date in several weeks. Could they have not looked for a game for that date to give them ten?

64 out of 100 teams is making the playoffs. Very doubtful they will be in a position of not getting a bid.
 
Did LR request the $2,500 contracted forfeit penalty? Did further discussions lead LR to accept NH’s offer to travel their next year instead of playing the game at NH per said contract

LR has an open date in several weeks. Could they have not looked for a game for that date to give them ten?

64 out of 100 teams is making the playoffs. Very doubtful they will be in a position of not getting a bid.
Word is LR did ask for it, word got out and then they retracted it. I was wondering when they were going to issue a statement and now reading it, they should’ve just stayed silent. They couldn’t have handled this any worse.
 
Word is LR did ask for it, word got out and then they retracted it. I was wondering when they were going to issue a statement and now reading it, they should’ve just stayed silent. They couldn’t have handled this any worse.


Exactly, to worry about a forfit at a time like that. I'm as competitive as anybody, but who cares about wins in losses at a time like that.
 
The more I hear, the more I blame LR. With all the covid cancellations, they likely could have found a game at some point, and it is very doubtful that any meaningful damage was done to their playoff hopes.
It seems to be super low class to be honest.
 
You all are being a little too hard on LR in this situation. This was a tragic unplanned situation. Sure a cancellation would have been a nice thing to do, but LR had no duty to do that. The shooting was at NH, it was NH IMHO that should have taken the forfeit or played the game on Thursday as scheduled. Hell they choose to play the very next day. Grieving, tragedy are hard and bring about tough situations, but we cant just over react and try to label a bad guy. The bad guy is the person doing the shooting causing all this mess. Lets not forget that, The children can still be counseled and taught about these situations even after the games are played. If we didn't care about wins/losses in a time like that then NH wouldn't have played Friday. But its obvious they cared and wanted to play just not on Thursday....
 
Word is LR did ask for it, word got out and then they retracted it. I was wondering when they were going to issue a statement and now reading it, they should’ve just stayed silent. They couldn’t have handled this any worse.
Hard to spin something when you have nothing to spin with. They waited because they were hoping it would fade quickly. Tried to lay it off on the NCHSAA. Now they have just added more fuel.
 
Nah...I thought NH deserved some blame too, but i didnt know they were not allowed to practice Monday or tuesday.
Did anyone suggest Saturday or Monday?

I thought blame went both ways, and maybe a little bit does, but bottom line- asking for a forfeit here is a horrible decision.
 
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Nah...I thought NH deserved some blame too, but i didnt know they were not allowed to practice Monday or tuesday.
Did anyone suggest Saturday or Monday?

I thought blame went both ways, and maybe a little bit does, but bottom line- asking for a forfeit here is a horrible decision.
NO mercy. IMHO NH should have just played as scheduled on Thursday. Practiving one day and then taking on Carolina Forest is just as crazy as practicing little wednesday and playing Thursday. Neither are ideal, but at least you avoid the mess.
 
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Thats what I mean by deserving some blame too. I was unaware they couldnt practice monday or tuesday, however.

I would love to know if sat or monday were discussed, and if not, why not.

Still, demanding a forfeit seems to be a horrible PR move with little to gain.
 
Did LR request the $2,500 contracted forfeit penalty? Did further discussions lead LR to accept NH’s offer to travel their next year instead of playing the game at NH per said contract

LR has an open date in several weeks. Could they have not looked for a game for that date to give them ten?

64 out of 100 teams is making the playoffs. Very doubtful they will be in a position of not getting a bid
 
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“We are not seeking the $2500 restitution payment”.

Appears to me they were and are receiving it in the form next years home game rather than coming to Wilmington. They got the forfeit and therefore the game “played” in 2021.
 
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Do not think playing Saturday or Monday made sense on a major vacation weekend.

Main focus of Wednesday NH practice was the players as students and people not football. That was the first time they had been together since the previous Friday.
 
You all are being a little too hard on LR in this situation. This was a tragic unplanned situation. Sure a cancellation would have been a nice thing to do, but LR had no duty to do that. The shooting was at NH, it was NH IMHO that should have taken the forfeit or played the game on Thursday as scheduled. Hell they choose to play the very next
They were not allowed to practice Monday or Tuesday and only one hour on Wednesday. They played arguably a tougher opponent in Carolina Forest.

They did get the forfeit but LR has now retreated from that stance and it will not be a forfeit. There is a reason LR is "backpedaling" a bit.
 
What did the forfeit have to do with the Fike game? If you forfeit, that means you can't play the next game either?
 
What did the forfeit have to do with the Fike game? If you forfeit, that means you can't play the next game either?
Would’ve put them over the maximum amount of games for the season. The forfeit would’ve counted as a game, and they just played a game that Friday in SC and then another with Fike. Leesville dropped the forfeit which allowed NH to play Fike.
 
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