Fox Chapel parents disappointed after football team's coaching staff asks for mercy against Pine-Richland
Fox Chapel parents voiced disappointment after the team's coaching staff asked Pine-Richland for mercy ahead of Friday's game.
In a letter written by Pine-Richland's coach to the school's community, the decision to shorten the game was made after numerous conversations with Fox Chapel Athletics. Rather than four 12-minute quarters, only the first quarter would be 12 minutes long, with the other quarters being eight minutes long with a running clock in the second half.
"I am sure this was not an easy request, but understand how taxing, both physically and mentally, lack of success on the field can be," the letter from Pine-Richland coach Jon LeDonne said.
Fox Chapel came into Friday's game with a 2-3 record. The letter explained that a shortened game would keep players safe and ensure their varsity players can make it through the season with safety in mind.
"It makes them look weak and like they're scared [which] they're not," Fox Chapel football parent Mike Elwood said ahead of Friday's game, which Pine Richland won 63-3.
Around 4 p.m. on Friday, a Fox Chapel player told KDKA-TV that they and other players were going to meet with their coach, Dave Leasure, hoping to change his mind so they could play a normal game. The player, whom we've agreed not to name, said that shortening the game was like giving up before the game even starts.
By the end of the meeting with players, Fox Chapel's coaches had agreed to make the second quarter a full 12 minutes, the player told KDKA after the meeting. The player said the decision to shorten the game was made without their input. They, and parents, found out about the decision to shorten the game from social media, frustrating many of them, including Tom Resek.
"I think it's up to the players to decide. And my son is a sophomore, and he takes football very, very, very seriously," said Resek, whose son is a starting middle linebacker who hopes to play in college. He's quit other sports to focus on football.
"Shortening this game is equivalent to stealing 12 minutes of football away from these kids," Resek said. "Twelve minutes might not seem like much to [the general] public, but it's a lot for us, and it's a lot if you only play one sport."
A half a season in, he says everyone has injuries, but it should not stop them.
"My son stated to me he'd rather lose 100 to nothing and play the whole game. There's no shame in losing to Pine-Richland. They're one of the best programs in the state," said Fox Chapel football parent Thomas Johnson, who said his son, playing in his senior season, was gutted. "What is shameful is, I think, you know, not even giving the kids the opportunity to go out there and compete."
Not a single Fox Chapel parent KDKA-TV spoke with during the game on Friday said they were in favor of the game being shortened, with many saying they felt the situation was embarrassing. The mothers of two players did say they'd approve of the format change if the coach came and told them the decision was made because of player safety.
Fox Chapel's quarterback, Joey Geller, defended his coaching staff and athletic director in a brief interview with KDKA-TV after the game on Friday. Geller said the format the game eventually took after the meeting between players and coaches was the same as last year's game against Pine Richland: 12-minute quarters in the first half and eight-minute quarters in the second half.
"I don't know what the big deal is this time," Geller said. "It was the same exact thing last year, only this year Pine-Richland publicized it."
He believes the decision was about safety.
"I love it, my coach says he loves us, he was looking out for our best interests, that's all he was doing. He and our AD were just looking to our best interests, trying to protect us," Geller said.
He did acknowledge that during the meeting between players and coaches pregame, they were able to get them to make both quarters in the first half 12 minutes long
"We weren't pushing for anything. We just wanted to play, I just wanted to play," Geller said.
KDKA checked back in late Friday evening with the player who told us pregame about the meeting with coaches who were upset by the game being shortened.
"I agree with my QB as our coaching staff and AD have valid concerns for shortening the game," the player said. "I will applaud the staff for listening to our senior class' concerns toward playing more time."
The same player said Pine-Richland players appreciated Fox Chapel players wanting to play the entire game.
Forty-nine Fox Chapel players suited up for Friday's game, while 80 Pine-Richland players suited up, according to Fox Chapel press box staff.
Multiple Pine-Richland parents said they were in favor of the game being shortened, with one saying it's good sportsmanship.