Multiple suspensions cause team to forfeit

Mark Hansel and David Kihara

Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2006 | 8:27 a.m.

The Sierra Vista High School boys' varsity basketball team forfeited a basketball game Saturday after most of its players were suspended following an incident after practice the day before.

"We had a group of students involved in an incident that is currently being investigated," Sierra Vista Athletic Director Larry Goins said. "Consequently we didn't have enough players to play the game."

The players were suspended from the southwest Las Vegas school while the incident is under review.

"We only had two players able to play on Saturday" in a scheduled game against Bonanza High School, Goins said. The team roster lists 11 players.

A school administrator with knowledge of the incident said the players had been horsing around in the gym after practice. The administrator, who would speak only if not identified, said the players started piling onto each other and things got out of hand.

A former player who quit the team earlier this year said some of the players often acted inappropriately during practice and games.

"They would just, like, play around and grab each other," the former teammate said. "They would hump each other and stuff. They acted like it was just for fun."

The player said his departure from the team had nothing to do with that behavior. He said there was never any malicious intent.

"Everybody was cool, everybody was friends," the student said. "They were just into all that and I wasn't."

One of the players involved, however, told his parents and they complained to the school, said a school administrator. None of the players was injured.

Goins said Sierra Vista does not plan to forfeit any additional games and will use players from its other squads to field a team if necessary.

Clark County School District regulations forbid hazing, which it describes as "any act which tends to injure, degrade or disgrace ..."

Edward Goldman, associate superintendent of education services for the district, called the incident "very rare."

"I can't recall the last time a straight-out hazing incident involving students crossed my desk."

If the students are found to have participated in hazing, the consequences can be severe. Principals may recommend expulsion and are required to report criminal behavior to law enforcement, Goldman said.

Officials confirmed that a complaint was filed with Metro Police, but details of the complaint were not immediately available.

Sun reporter Emily Richmond contributed to this report.

Mark Hansel can be reached at 259-4085 or at mark.hansel@lasvegassun.com. David Kihara can be reached at 259-2330 or at davidk@lasvegassun.com.