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School Fined $10,400 In Football Team Fight

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By BAIRD HELGESON

bhelgeson@tampatrib.com

Published: November 20, 2008

TAMPA - The Florida High School Athletic Association forced a Brooksville high school football team to forfeit a playoff game this Friday and fined the school $10,400 for a bench-clearing brawl this month.

The fine is among the stiffest ever levied for unsportsmanlike conduct by the statewide athletic association, which investigated the incident and issued its ruling Wednesday. As part of the fine, 48 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were doled out to the team from Nature Coast Technical High School.

A letter sent Wednesday to Nature Coast Principal Tizzy Schoelles indicated the school had a similar incident in 2007 and hadn't taken steps to deter unsportsmanlike conduct.

The athletic association levied a fine of $8,500 against the other school involved in the incident, Groveland's South Lake High. The athletic association gave the team 42 unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Both programs are on administrative probation from now until June 2010. Further infractions could result in an extension of probation, forfeiture of games and possibly expulsion from the athletic association.

The association suspended both teams for the rest of the season, which means the Nature Coast Skarks' next competitor, Williston, automatically advances to the Class 3A region semifinal.

Principals from Nature Coast and South Lake could not be reached for comment late Wednesday.

Reporter Baird Helgeson can be reached at (813) 259-7668. Keyword: Youth Sports Conduct, to see unsportsmanlike conduct penalties for all schools in Florida.

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