Merged Thread: AC/Watagua postings

NW 4A Championship Teams diqualified from playoffs

The championship game between ACHS and Wautaga was stopped in the 5th with ACHS leading 4-0 when a free for all errupted. The umps stopped the game and an announcement was made the decision would be announced tomorow.

 

Guys you would not believe this mess.

If they go strictly by NCHSAA rules which were read to me on the phone tonight straight out of the handbook. Alexander Central just punched their way out of the playoffs. By rule if there is a fight involving 5 or more participants and they are ejected which happened, they forfeit their playoff spot.

So the playoff spot should goto the next team, which would be the McDowell Titans.

Even worse, both schools' pocketbooks are 1000 dollars lighter because both teams had players leave the bench.

 

Sure would like to see a video of this. Was runner the agressor or catcher?

 

downsouth...the first punch was thrown by the watauga pitcher on a play at the plate in the bottom of the 5th....both benches were cleared...what a shame!!!

this game got out of hand in the first inning when the kid from watauga in the red shirt, ( non-player), hung a sign on the wall on the playing field, dissing the ACHS team, another sign dissing one of the ACHS players was retrieved out of the trash can later and is in the possession of that players parents,.... the ump never took control or had the sign removed...

in the 4th ACHS scored 3 runs on a HR and scored 1 more in the 5th before the pitcher from Watauga lost his cool...

Coach Hardee did come across the field to the ACHS team and appologize for his teams behavior..

 

OKay. I had a person email me and ask the particulars on the situation. Heres what I know to be fact.

Alexander Central is known for their taunting and trashtalking. If you think it is right or wrong that they do it is not an issue but it is fact. Ask anyone in the conference. I truly feel that is what got things cooking long before the explosion. As for the signs, for weeks Watauga has been hanging K's for strikeouts on everyone's fences. I didn't see the signs the kids had, but I figured thats what they were hanging. If it was something profane or vulgar or personal, they should have been removed.

As for the mess itself, there was a play at home plate involving Alexander's player (I think it was Wagner, but not sure) and the Watauga catcher Greene. Those two players after the play were in eachother's face. A small scuffle ensued. Leyshon who was pitching for Watauga and backing up the play came in and hit the Alexander player. I think it was ALexander's Payne who was on deck and went after Leyshon and all hell broke lose when that happened and both benches cleared.

Again, by rule everyone who left the bench should be ejected if they threw a punch or not.

Now you talked about a video tape. There was someone filming that game. I saw the camera. Question there is if he filmed the melee or is he willing to come forward with it.

Can Watauga win by forfeit if they had enough to play? They were in the field so technically they didn't come out from the dugout.

Can Alexander say the game is over and they win cause its technially a complete game (it was in the bottom of 5)?

Definately this is something I have never seen before and hope to never see again. But lots and lots of questions have to come out of this.

All this broke out close to Alexander's dugout, where were their coaches?

Watauga was announced to have like 5 or 6 coaches. Where were they?

There is alot of blame to go around here. It will be interesting to see what happens out of this.

 

the Ks are not what was posted on the playing field..these signs were posted on the inside of the brick backstop facing the playing field..the were vulgar and personal...one player has the sign that was about him...the kid in the red shirt and red cap from Watauga, should have been asked to leave the game...he had no business hanging a sign inside the backstop fence...that sign won't show up on the video tape..

Wagner made a legal slide at the plate and tried to get up, Green lay on him while Leyshon came from behind and hit Wagner in the face with his fist, Green lay on top of Wagner..Leyshon then tried to run toward 1st base and was tackled...both benches cleared...

ACHS is not the only team in the NW4A to trash talk...you are right that this started sometime ago...this is a shame for ACHS to be disqualified...

 

The rule also states any position player that leaves his defensive position to participate in a fight shall also be ejected, so from what I hear everyone on both teams that was involved should be ejected which would prohibit either team from making the playoffs. I bet the boys in Marion are loving this! Lets make sure we get a bus load to go when Taylorsville and Boone play in American Legion this summer!

 

Signs on the fence (from someone who was there)

The Watauga fans were way out of control this time. The signs posted on the fence should have been removed as soon as they were posted. South Caldwell and the Watauga parents failed to do this. I can see someone making a poster similar to a Homecoming Game "Smash Those Cougars" sign, but writing that "All Cougars Squat When They Pee" is way over the line. I'm not even gonna go into what the sign about a player said, because it was even worse that the first one.

It is sad that the Cougars will probably be booted from the playoffs, but they did what they had to do. You can't just sit on the bench while one of your fellow teammates is getting unfairly pummeled out on the field. Hopefully if the tape is released, the officials will see what sparked the fight: an over-anxious punk who took a cheap shot at a guy who was just doing his job.

The coaches were definitely not at fault here. They did their best to break up the fight and stop it after a minute or two. It could have been much worse.

 

That same pitcher will be playing for Coach Hardee's AAU baseball team...i could be wrong but i do not think Boone will play Legion ball...

well said ACHSfan

 

what a shame!!!!!!!!

I think it is a crying shame that ACHS players, as well as the Watagua players, have worked as hard as they have and have done as well as they have in the conference for their season to end like this. Apparently, some hostility from the basketball season came into play last night with the taunting signs made by Watauga students. Basketball is over guys, this is baseball. I saw one of the signs. I really can't believe the administration and coaches from Watauga let this happen. Yes, I'm sure that ACHS players and fans have said things at ballgames, but I have also seen the AD go to them and tell them to stop.

Downsouth - I will not say that AC players and fans do not get loud at times, because they do. I'm sure we are like everyone else. But you will not find more supportive parents and fans either. Last week, I did not see the umpire go to the ACHS fans and tell them not to taunt the other team players, but I did see the behind-the-plate umpire tell the Watauga student/fans to shout at their players, not taunt the opposing team. I know that to be a fact, because I was sitting behind the students that were being UGLY.

I think there was a lot of tension last night. The signs that our players read about their teammates added fuel to the fire. Both teams players should not have acted the way that they did, but they were taking up for their team mates.

As I see it, Watauga has nothing to lose by the decision made today. When the homerun was hit and we went ahead 3 - 0 this made Watauga more anxious to get back some leverage, as we would have in that situation. Tension mounted and things got out of hand. I really hate to see ACHS lose out of the spot in the playoffs because of this. It should not have goten to that point. I think the umpire should have stepped in and stopped it before it got to the point where the pitcher stepped in.

Where was the sheriff's dept. at the time of the outburst? There sure were plenty of them at the end of the game.

If Watuaga had been ahead at the time of the brawl, then they would feel as we do and I do not blame them. Yes, Watauga played well last week in their win over us, but we played well last night and were winning at the time. I feel especially bad for the seniors. It is terrible that their high school career has to end on such a bad note.

It is a shame that it had to come to this!!!!!!!!

ACHS this has been a great season and I enjoyed watching you play. Thank you again for the baseball camp that you held for the youngsters of our county. It was very well organized and the campers learned a lot. It is something that our future ACHS players will not forget. You were very dedicated to give up your Saturday to help these young players. You need to know that you make a difference in their lives and they really look up to you guys.