Brainerd High basketball banned from playoffs

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) The TSSAA has brought the hammer down on both Austin East and Brainerd for last weekend’s basketball brawl.

Both teams were suspended for the rest of the regular season.

Now that ban has been extended through the playoffs, which both schools expected to make.

But it won’t end there.

Brainerd has submitted their disciplinary plan to the TSSAA, which accepted parts and rejected others.

They accepted six actions proposed by Brainerd.

1. Communicate the school’s expectations for behavior at school events with parents, students and community members
2. School administration will meet with all school coaches and assistant coaches to discuss expectations and responsibilities. The administration will emphasize the purpose of high school athletics and the principles behind TSSAA rules.
3. The school administration will collaborate with district staff to submit a security plan acceptable to district staff before all sports contests.
4. The school administrators will continue to work with the SRO to identify fans who need to be banned from further contests.
5. Player #4 is suspended for the rest of the regular season and postseason
6. Players will be placed on disciplinary probation for the rest of the 2017-2018 school year.

Despite Brainerd’s proposal to cancel the rest of the season, the TSSAA decided to let the teams finish the regular season.

However, the regular season rematch against Austin East will not be played.

The TSSAA also added additional actions against the Brainerd High program, including a post-season ban next year, too.

The TSSAA actions include:
• The school will be fined $500 for players and fans coming onto the floor during an altercation.
• The boys’ basketball program at Brainerd High is being placed on restrictive probation for the remainder of the 2017-18 season beginning February 2, 2018. The boys’ basketball program will also be on restrictive probation throughout the 2018-2019 school year and the basketball program will be fined $2,000. During the period of restrictive probation, the boys’ basketball team will not be allowed to enter the postseason boys’ tournament series or receive any award recognizing their finish in the regular season.
• The boys’ basketball program at Brainerd High is being placed on probation for the 2019-2020 and the 2020-2021 school years and fined an additional $1,000. The boys will be allowed to participate in all regular and postseason contest during this probationary period.

The total cost to the program will be $3,500.

“We are pleased that the TSSA accepted the majority of our proposals to handle this very difficult and regrettable situation,” responded Dr. Zac Brown.

“Brainerd High takes ownership of the incident in the game and we understand this is not the environment of sportsmanship we desire for our players, our students or our fans.”

“Our Brainerd community also understands the vitally important role extra-curricular activities play in the school’s climate and culture and the educational experience of our players and we want to ensure that we consider the interest of students not involved in the incident as well as future players.”

Brainerd High will appeal the decision to impose restrictive probation for the 2018-2019 school year and request the TSSAA place the team on probation instead.

“Brainerd High has taken immediate corrective actions to assure our students and spectators adhere to TSSAA sportsmanship standards and participate in extra-curricular activities in a manner that will be uplifting for themselves and the Brainerd community,” said Dr. Bryan Johnson, superintendent of Hamilton County Schools.

“We pledge our schools and our system to the ideals of sportsmanship of TSSAA and we will work with them to provide growth experiences for our children through the positive attributes of sports that are so very important to our students.”