Here we are — Week 8 of the high school football season in the books. Hard to believe, right?
One day you wake up and you’re getting ready for Kickoff Classics in August, and then you blink and the playoffs are a month away.
Time flies when you’re having fun!
FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME ERUPTS INTO VIOLENT BRAWL INVOLVING PLAYERS, COACHES AFTER FINAL WHISTLE
Or, in one referee’s case … when you’re putting your hands on a player and then getting suspended by the district for acting like a complete buffoon for no reason whatsoever!
Either-or.
The Kickapoo Chiefs host the Glendale Falcons in Springfield on Sept. 26, 2024. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
I’ve taken it upon myself here at OutKick to highlight at least one high school football play/ player/ story each and every Saturday during the season. These guys are all about to be millionaires with the silly NIL rules, so we might as well get ahead of the curve and start identifying them early.
BEHEMOTH HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL STAR SLAMS DEFENDER TO THE GROUND LIKE A RAGDOLL AFTER INTERCEPTION
So far this season, we’ve seen (arguably) the country’s top running back do incredible things in Tennessee on multiple different occasions, a wild Hail Mary in Florida, an entire California team get suspended because the mascot shot the bird to some fans, and a giant running back in Kentucky.
What a run we’ve been on, and I can assure you, it won’t end today … unfortunately.
Take a look:
The school district didn’t take long to suspend this ref
Goodness gracious. I’ve covered a lot of high school football over the years. It’s all I did from about 2015-2021. I can safely say that I have never, in my life, seen that.
The player in the video is Joelle Rover — a receiver for the Glendale Falcons, in Springfield, Missouri. To me, he looks like he did nothing wrong. At all. A nice catch-and-score for 43 yards, and a celebration with his teammates.
Obviously, you can’t hear what he said, but boots on the ground don’t mention anything about a verbal interaction with the ref. Everyone is as confused as we are, including Glendale coach Frank Tristan.
“I think it really tarnished the whole game with that,” he told the Springfield News-Leader.
Ya think?!
Glendale Falcons fans celebrate a touchdown against Kickapoo in Springfield on Sept. 26, 2024. (USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect)
The Missouri State High School Activities Association suspended the referee less than 24 hours later, which should also tell you something. They didn’t wait long to investigate or ask questions.
It’s pretty clear what transpired from the video, and they didn’t need much else.
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In fact, this play was so blatant, and looked so bad, it caught the attention of former Heisman winner, Robert Griffin III on X.
“This referee done lost his DAMN MIND PUTTING HIS HANDS ON A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PLAYER FOR NO REASON,” he posted Friday evening.
Now, the question is … why? Why did this ref get so angry at this kid for scoring a touchdown and celebrating? I have no clue. It’s a harmless touchdown celebration.
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“He doesn’t need to be touching my player, you talk to me, that’s ridiculous,” Tristan can be seen yelling from the sidelines after the play. “You need to grow up.”
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Fairview High School remained undefeated with a 33-30 win over Pomona in Arvada, Colo., on Oct. 18, 2013. The Knights kicked a field goal as time expired in the fourth quarter. (Denver Post via Getty Images)
Wild scene. Again, I’ve never seen anything like it. High school football never disappoints, folks. It’s undefeated. Every week, it gives us content — both good and bad.
On that note, let’s end the day by highlighting Joelle Rover. The 6-3 senior finished last year with 11 touchdown passes and 1,017 yards, and currently has offers from Princeton, Western Illinois and Lindenwood, according to 247Sports.
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He’s also a nightmare to try and take down.
Good luck, fellas!