Friday, January 23, 2009

High school football charged

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Football players know them as “gassers” — sprints up and down the field to build stamina.
Sophomore Max Gilpin and his Pleasure Ridge Park teammates spent the tail end of a three-hour practice on a sweltering August day in Louisville running the drill that is a coaching staple across the country, hoping to impress enough to earn varsity playing time that fall.
They sprinted 12 times in 94-degree heat, sometimes with helmets and pads, as the coaches pushed them to go harder and harder. It was a drill like those on many football fields across the country, right up until Gilpin, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound offensive lineman collapsed on the turf just 15 minutes after a teammate went down.
Three days later, the 15-year-old Gilpin was dead from heat stroke, with authorities saying his body temperature was 107 degrees when he reached the hospital. Five months later, his first-year head coach David Jason Stinson is facing a reckless homicide charge, with a prosecutor saying the coach should have realized a player could collapse from heat stroke in the broiling weather.
Harold Jarrard, whose grandson played on the offensive line, was there Aug. 20 and said coaches were shouting at the players, encouraging them to pick it up as practice wound down.
“It was just a normal day of practice,” he said. “They always run gassers at the end. It’s a daily activity. Nothing was different that day. I never heard anything out of the ordinary.
“You hear them being threatened every day, stuff like ’If you don’t straighten up, you’re out of here.’ It was just regular,” he said.
Interviews with witnesses and a review of filings in a civil lawsuit brought by Gilpin’s parents against the coaching staff, including depositions, Stinson’s handwritten notes and weather logs filed with the school, shed some light on what happened that day.
For Brian Bale, who was watching his daughter play soccer on an adjacent field during most of football practice, the way coaches were yelling at players was “appalling,” he said in an e-mail to the school district two days later. Bale declined an interview request from The Associated Press on Friday.
But he wrote in the e-mail: “Those coaches thought that they were training young teenagers for the Navy SEALS team instead of a football team. I never once in the time I was there saw anyone offered a water break. I did, however, hear the coach say numerous times that all he needed was one person to say that they quit the team and all of the suffering and running and heat would be over.”
That’s exactly what Kim Englert’s son, David, did — quit that day.
David Englert said “Coach Stinson made the team run sprints until someone quit,” Gilpin’s mother, Michele Crockett said in court filings.
Heat exposure deaths happen occasionally in football from the sandlot to the pros, the most famous example being Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Korey Stringer in 2001. Lawsuits have been filed in many of those cases, but it doesn’t appear that a coach has ever been criminally charged.
Commonwealth’s Attorney Dave Stengel declined to say why he chose this case for a grand jury. Stinson, a technical teacher at the school who has been reassigned pending the outcome of the case, is scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
His attorney, Alex Dathorne, did not return calls from The Associated Press on Friday.

50 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well Ringgold Fans, what washed up coach is Ringgold going to hire next because word is Petrucci resigned but this won't be made public until a school board meeting.

Anonymous said...

I think its funny you guys get on Ringgold for the coaches they hire.

Did you ever think that no one wanted to apply there to coach.

Lets just say your a coach/teacher. You are probably not going to want to go to Ringgold because the school district doesnt pay anything.

Also, not many people would want to work with all the deliquents you guys have.

Jeff Petrucci was the best coach Ringgold has had in a long time. I never in a million years thought Shane Mountain could throw for a 1000 yards in a season and he did.

Ringgold also overachieved much of the season except for a loss at home against Trinity.

Regardless quit complaining. No one wants to come to Ringgold because the school district just plain sucks.

You are lucky Petrucci came there. He must be a religious man because only God could have led him to coach at Ringgold.

Anonymous said...

Of course some idiot from Ringgold would post a message like this.

The blog has nothing to do with Ringgold coaching and you go and bash the ringgold coaching staff.

No one wants to be apart of your community. Its terrible.

Anonymous said...

they should of never got rid of coach MOORE What coach plans a vacation during championship week?He didn`t coach to win he was there for the ten grand.If noone wanted the job y did he?if he was so good y did he leave cal.u I hope its true send him back to bv

Anonymous said...

I am sure the only reason he took the job was for the 10 grand... I mean big deal 10G... You act like he is going to buy an Escalade with it.

What did Coach Moore do???? Your just another idiot living in Ringgold who probably has an IQ under 50.

Anonymous said...

wow, i could have swore that when i clicked on to read the posts about this story that it would have something to do with high school football players getting worked too hard in 100 degree heat and dying. I'll have to go back and re-read this, because i missed the part about the search for a ringgold coaching staff the first time.

Anonymous said...

Kovak,

You should delete all these posts because the Ringgold people just post where ever they feel like it.

mike_kovak said...

This isn't the first post to be completely steered of topic. Here's hoping it's the last.

Anonymous said...

I think every blog on here has gotten off track. Leave it to the Ringgold people..

Anonymous said...

I think Rodney Taylor should be the next football coach at Ringgold.

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike,
Maybe there is a way that the O-R can set up accounts so users have to identify who they are in order to leave a comment. I would suggest that the reason this blog gets off topic so easily is because of the ability to post as "anonymous". It is easy to talk smack if one's name is not attached. The way it is now all the cowards and haters don't have to man up and identify themselves. Just my two cents. Congratulations anonymous crusaders, you da man.

Anonymous said...

Hey Kevin Rice,

Maybe you can set up your own blog that way. If you dont like what your reading dont read it. No one is forcing you to read anything posted in these blogs.

Anonymous said...

not to mention Kevin Rice, i can say my name is Barrack Obama and how would you people know any different? Whats next, are you going to ask for social security numbers and fingerprints to post a comment on site discussing highschool sports? If you dont like it, dont read blog sites...

Anonymous said...

haha the post above me is great. Kevin Rice must be new to the internet. He probably also still believes that Al Gore developed it.

Anonymous said...

This is ridiculous. You are all making fools of yourselves. I am an alumni from Washington county and I come on here to catch up on whats going on locally because im away at school. The things I see on here are just embarrassing. This is a blog created to have civilized discussions about HS sports. Lets keep the trash talking out of it and try to show a little class.

Anonymous said...

Mr. Matthews is upset everyone. No more trash talking or he will get angry while he is at school. It might even cause him to drink it we would be liable.

Anonymous said...

so this coach literally made them run till someone quit?! wow. that's a reputable coach. he must not realize it's a high school sport not the elite branches of the military. hope he's charged to the fullest extent. oh and the ringgold finances stem from the base of the school district being depressed river towns. taxes are extremely low so the district has no extra money to pay a good coach or good teachers.

Anonymous said...

I agree Jeravin, it is ridiculous. Some idiots with too much time on their hands and no guts feel it is necessary posture up on teams, players, coaches, and who ever they wish. If only they could man up and stand behind their words. Obviously they are stupid too (Barack only has one r dummy). And no I'm not new to the internet, unfortunately I've been putting up with fools like you since 1992. I'm not suggesting you refrain from trash talking, just be a man about it.

Anonymous said...

come on man, do you think President Barack Obama would post on here? Im just some guy that happens to share a similar name...geez...

Anonymous said...

Everyone post your name, phone number, and mailing address. Kevin Rice wants ever blogger to be a man. He has been using the internet since 1992 and wants to re-invent internet blogging. That way if he doesnt like what you say he can come to your house and settle thing like a man.

Kevin Rice probably wears wrangler jeans and drives a big truck. Kevin you probably be a UFC fighter because you are the toughest blogger on here.

Kevin are you in anager management? I guess its ok to post your name when kno one knows who Kevin Rice is anyways.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Rice is an internet genius. If anyone has any questions just contact him. He has been using the internet since 1992.

However, if you ask him a question on here please give him all your personal information. He will only deal with you if he knows your name, race, sex, marital status, social security number, and home phone number.

Kevin Rice you are by far the best blogger. You are so good because you post your name. Who knows if you are even the real Kevin Rice.

Anonymous said...

What kind of name is Jeravin Matthews??? Is this dude even a real person. Sounds like a fake ghetto name.

I will give you this though he Jeravin has class. He is also a high school graduate. Congratulations Jeravin you will probably go far.

Rod Taylor said...

Not very nice...

Anonymous said...

412-867-5309

Kevin Rice is an idiot. You got a problem with that Kevin...Call me.

Anonymous said...

Mike Kovak,

The best thing to write about is something in relation to Ringgold. Guarenteed you will get a response pertaining to your blog. The ringgold people complain on every blog so it might be eaiser to just write about ringgold haha.

mike_kovak said...

Well, there will be a Ringgold story in tomorrow's O-R that I'm sure the locals are already talking about.

Anonymous said...

Great I cant wait to watch all the Ringgold wackos come out of the woodwork like Rodney Taylor.

This should be a great read.

Rod Taylor said...

I am pretty whacko...

Anonymous said...

John Doe I did graduate from HS(Canon Mac).I am playing football at Northwestern right now and im pretty sure i played as a true freshmen so I think im going to go pretty far.All im trying to say is that we need to clean up the rooms and stop trying to bash players, coaches, and fans.Im guessing your all pretty grown up so stop acting like children and lets use this blog to talk about sports like adults and not children.

Anonymous said...

Congratulations you played your first year. You are def going far now. You are probably going to go to the nfl and build.

Thank you for letting everyone know they should clean up the board too. I am sure they will listen to you since you are the best athlete of all time.

Anonymous said...

Joe Doe, you are obviously an anonymous internet tough guy, joke of a human being. Jeravin, don't listen to losers like this that hide in their trailers and talk smack on people like you, jealousy is a very ugly emotion.

Jeravin is correct, how about we talk about sports like adults and not like 12 year olds. It would be a much more enjoyable experience, especially for those of us with IQ's above 40.

Joe Doe, IQ means intelligence quotient, I'm sure you have no idea what that is all about.

Anonymous said...

Thank you for clarifying that for me. I am guessing you graduated from CM as well. Everyone from that school is just sooooooo smart and athletic.

You IQ is probably 180 and last time I checked Jeravin Matthews scored a 990 on his SATS.(Its on the recruiting sites in case your wondering. Pure genius.

Anonymous said...

It is not about who is from where and how smart you are.Its about being respectuful and thats something that you lack. You dont need a high SAT score to figure that out. I dont care if you talk trash on me im a man i can take it but as for these young ahtletes,fans, and coaches you need to back it off a little.

Rod Taylor said...

Preach on Jeravin. You are doing the right things. I am glad you are smart enough to just brush off what people say.

Anonymous said...

John Doe,

Where did you attend school?
Was it half the school of Northwestern?
Do you have half the character as Jeravin?
Do you work half as hard as him?
Are you half as mature as him?


If you answer yes to any of those questions, you're full of it.

Anonymous said...

It is just funny how you pathetic cowards put this stuff on here. Anonymous, Joe Doe, Barrack with 2 r's....you are sad and weak. How you ask do we know if it is the real person? You miss the point- be like some of us and put your name on your remarks- you should try it. That is what a man does. Judging by the time of day that you losers post, you don't have jobs. You probably live at home with your parents so it makes sense that you don't know what it is to be a man anyway. Your only release in life is to act all hard on some sports blog. On second thought don't change how you post. I wouldn't want you to lose the one thing in life that you have going for you.

Peace Jeravin & R. Keith

Anonymous said...

Kevin Rice.

What a loser. You get up every morning at 6 A.M. to post on here. You are preaching to the birds arguing with little kids. You my friend are making yourself look like an idiot. I bet if we added your score, Mr. Matthews, R Keiths Sat score we could come up with a perfect score.

Kevin Rice welcome to the village idiot club son.

Anonymous said...

Here we go again about whats schools are legitimate or not. We already know what you idiots think of the local schools around here.

Bottom line your school isnt going to make you successful at your job.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Rice,

Did you ever think some people have access to a computer at work. You must be a real piece of work.

Anonymous said...

Kevin Rice,

What do you do for a living by the way?? Since we are being open about everything. How much money do you make a year?

Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Merril,

What school do you go to?

Thanks

Anonymous said...

I am a graduate of Georgia Tech.

Anonymous said...

Did you hang out with Stephon Marbury too Merrill?

Anonymous said...

i disagree anon. i would say someone with a masters degree in chemical engineering from MIT would be more successful than someone with a masters degree in chemical engineering from Geneva. and just like most of the big ten schools, northwestern is one of the finest universities in this country

Anonymous said...

I was close to two decades before him, unfortunately.

Anonymous said...

Well Bill Gates turned out be successful and last time i checked he didnt have a masters degree.

Your school has nothing to do with what your going to do in your future.

All that it means is you probably paid more for your education.

Anonymous said...

I have an idea how about you get your head out of Jeravin a$$. Northwestern is a good school great. There are tons of great school in this country.

I just dont think the school makes you successful. Two of my relatives went to Cal U and now they are both V.P's of fortune 500 companies.

Anonymous said...

Jeravin,

If you want to catch up on local sports read the post gazette. They have a website. Why would you read a msg blog to catch up on local sports.

Anonymous said...

Whatever you say John... Whatever you say...

Anonymous said...

Merril went to Georgia Tech everyone so therefor he is guarenteed to make alot of money and have success.