High School Coach Exhibits Low Class

Having spent a portion of my life in south Alabama near the Georgia border, I became somewhat interested in Georgia high school football. While not as big as an event as it is in Texas, high school football is big in Georgia, especially south Georgia. I became intrigued with one particular private school in Atlanta because they always seemed to be highly ranked in the state, could hang with teams that clearly had more talent, but always came up short in the play-offs, usually the semi-finals. It's difficult not to respect a team that can rely on coaching and discipline to compete with the big boys, though this school has produced its fair share of DI athletes. Marist in Atlanta is to Georgia high school football as Air Force used to be to college football. They can always play with the big boys, yet never really win anything.

The Marist program has been built by coach Alan Chadwick. Unfortunately, Coach Chadwick has tarnished not only his reputation, but also the school's reputation with his actions on the field in a game earlier this year. After his team lost a game back in September, Chadwick raced across the field and slapped a game official. I understand emotions run high in football, but running down an official and then making contact with him, be it a slap or a pat is ridiculous. Bob Stoops whined about an awful call, but he refrained from hitting anyone. Joe Pa has even chased down officials, but again he kept his hands off the individual. Chadwick was hit with a one game suspension, but he could stand to take some more time and perhaps better prepare his team for battle, because we all know poor officiating whether on the high school, college, or pro level is just part of the game.