‘Safety concerns’ cited by referee
By Robert Tomlinson
News Director
THREE RIVERS — A boys’ soccer game last week between Three Rivers and Sturgis was abandoned in the second half due to behavior of players and fans in attendance.
In an email sent Oct. 2 to families, coaches and athletes confirmed by the Commercial-News, Three Rivers High School Principal Carrie Balk relayed a referee report submitted to the Michigan High School Athletic Association from the Wednesday, Oct. 1 contest between the two rival schools at Armstrong Field in Three Rivers. In the report, it stated the game was abandoned with 13:38 remaining in the second half for what the referee called “safety concerns.”
The referee reported that he had been getting “complaints” from both teams about “spitting and swearing” on the pitch, and stopped the game to address players on the field. After giving out three yellow cards to Three Rivers players and one yellow card to Sturgis, the referee reported that Three Rivers fans were “getting unruly,” to the point where TRHS Athletic Director Matt Stofer addressed fans from the press box. He also noted Three Rivers coach Brad Selent was “also going to speak to the parents.” The referee later decided to abandon the game.
According to the Three Rivers athletics website, the score was 4-0 in favor of Sturgis at the time of the abandonment, and would be the final score of the contest.
In her email, Balk said the type of behavior described in the referee’s report – in the stands or on the field – was “unacceptable,” and that she has obtained “substantiated reports” and security camera footage from the stadium, while stating the situation is under “full investigation.” She also added she will be contacting “a number of parents” to “directly discuss what took place” as well as set expectations for future games, and would be talking with athletes and coaches along with Stofer to address the issue.
Further action could be taken as the investigation continues and additional information in the ongoing “full review” becomes available, Balk wrote.
“In the meantime, remember this: the only behavior you have full control over is your own,” Balk wrote. “Representing Three Rivers High School comes with responsibility – on the field, on the sideline, and in the stands.”
Frank Perez, who said he was in attendance at the game with his family and is also the mayor of Sturgis, alleged during public comment at Monday’s Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education meeting that some people in attendance as well as players had said “racial comments and slurs” during the game. He also alleged a Three Rivers player, after receiving a yellow card and was heading toward the bench, said toward the Wildcats’ coaches, “I hit that kid like you told me to do,” an incident Perez said “set me off.”
“To me, it’s an honor and a privilege to represent your community in a varsity sport, but not to be making derogatory comments, racial slurs, ‘go back to your country,’ totally uncalled for,” Perez said before remarking on the alleged comment by the Three Rivers player toward the coach. “What is the coach teaching? To be a racist? To be making derogatory comments because you’re not getting your way and you’re losing the game? And to teach violence? That has no place in school athletics.”
The referee’s report submitted to the MHSAA, in contrast to Perez’s allegations, does not make mention of any racial slurs or comments made by either side’s players or fans, nor does it mention any other conduct by coaches or players other than the complaints about “spitting and swearing” and the yellow cards issued during the game. No red cards were issued to any players during the game.
In a statement Tuesday, Three Rivers Community Schools Superintendent Nikki Nash said “preventive officiating” was followed with the game, and that the cards given during the game were “soccer play related penalties.”
“The yellow cards referred in the report were not for allegations or concerns brought up during public comment. The cards for both TR and Sturgis were soccer play related penalties. The referee called the game based on complaints from players from both teams. He felt it was best to call the game because nothing good would happen for the remainder of the game. In other words, preventive officiating was followed,” Nash said. She added the suspension of the game was “fully supported” by Stofer, and that the investigation into the incident is “complete.”
Stofer declined to comment, deferring any questions to Nash. Selent, the coach, did not respond to a request for comment.
Robert Tomlinson can be reached at 279-7488 or robert@wilcoxnewspapers.com.
You wouldn’t catch me buying a car in Sturgis either and I’ve lived here over 20 years. Ever hear of the phrase, buyer beware? Besides, have you always purchased everything here in Sturgis? Gotten all of the services for all of your vehicle, home and doctor’s appointments here in Sturgis either? I’m willing to bet you have not, so kindly stick to the subject at hand, sir.
I believe it was the fact that the Three Rivers soccer team was losing so badly that they turned into sore losers, used racial slurs, and that the crowd learned exactly where the kids learned it all from (their parents and elders in the stands, if you didn’t pick that up).
Oh look at Frank Perez acting all righteous! “To me it’s an honor and a privilege to represent your community in a varsity sport” he says. Well Frank it’s an honor and a privilege to represent your community as that community’s mayor too, but that didn’t stop you from not supporting that community when it came to buying a new vehicle did it. Not only did you refuse to support Sturgis’ many car dealerships when buying your new car, you chose to go to Kalamazoo to spend thousands of dollars on a new vehicle and say “screw you” to local businesses. Then, as if that wasn’t a big enough knife in the back, you chose to make a TV commercial for that Kalamazoo dealership encouraging other people to patronize them too. You’re a businessman here in Sturgis and you want people to bring you their money and support you, but yet you do everything in your power to not support other local businesses and encourage other people to do the same. Before you go spewing your BS about being all nice and righteous, maybe you ought to look in the mirror first.