-- The Miramar High School football team has been protesting in Fort Lauderdale Thursday, after learning they cannot participate in this season's playoffs.
All 70 team members headed to the Broward County School Board offices in their uniforms along with some of their parents to protest, chanting "Let us play." They were notified Wednesday that their season was terminated due to allegations of academic ineligibility and impermissible benefits being given to players. Ending the season was a decision the school made voluntarily in response to allegations.
Seniors on the football team led the program to a winning season (7-3). The Miramar Patriots are also ranked second in their athletic division. But now the entire team has to sit out tomorrow's play off game. "[It's] very heartbreaking to find this out, so hopefully everything works out and we can play," said senior Danzel King.
The team held practice Thursday prior to an official announcement. But the decision to end the Patriots' season was made official later that afternoon when parents and coaches held a meeting at Miramar High School.
The official announcement was followed by an emotional outcry at the high school. A mobile video shows a student being embraced as he is ushered out of the meeting. But according to a student, kids weren't the only ones who were upset. "The parents got rowdy and they started to make a lot of noise," said one student.
Tensions rose and police were called to the scene to keep order. "It's emotional. It's too emotional. The parents are hot. The parents care about the child too much," added another.
A photo posted on Twitter showed a window one student, concerned about an athletic college scholarship, may have broken. "A lot of kids are suffering due to the fact that some made grades and some didn't," a man said.
No arrests or injuries were reported during or after the meeting.
For the seniors on the team, the decision most likely means their high school football career is over. "We feel that this should not have happened," said King. "I mean, we love this sport. We do everything for this sport, and we feel that this is wrong for this to be happening to us, because we feel we did nothing wrong."
"Very heartbreaking. I was kinda really prepared for it 'cause the new head coach always tells us, 'You never know when your last game will be, so play every game like it's your last,'" said senior Jeff Hill.
The accusations stem from former coach Matthew Strout, who suddenly resigned last month and reportedly told district officials that ineligible players were playing in games.
"[This] coach has vengeance," said interim head coach AJ Scott. "He's that type of person. I hate to say it; he has bad character and he's ... the school, Miramar High, made him resign and this is all about vengeance right now."
Broward County School Board spokesperson Tracy Clark said there is an ongoing investigation by the Florida High School Athletic Association and Broward Schools. "We're looking into their allegations regarding student ineligibility and impermissible benefits to students," said Clark.
Hill said, though his high school career is over, he and other seniors spoke to the team's underclassmen and gave them words of encouragement. "Just tell them I love them, we gotta keep ballin' and [if] we don't get this chance, y'all boys come back next year and do it again," he said.
Miramar was scheduled to play against Monarch High School Friday night in Deerfield Beach for the first round of the playoffs. That game has been canceled, and Monarch High advanced to the next round.
It is likely that the Miramar Patriots will play next season. But one student said cutting the season short could hurt some senior athletes. "It's going to be a season next year and that's good. That's the best thing we could ask for," he said. "But some of the seniors, they need this. Like they were riding on this. They needed this."