The punishment fits the crime
Reynolds was leading Parkland 41-6 in the fourth quarter last week when a skirmish broke out at the end of a play. When the dust settled, David Hooper, a senior linebacker, found himself heading to the sideline after being ejected. Mike Propst, Reynolds head coach and himself a former linebacker, said that Hooper was ejected for throwing a punch at a Parkland player, a move that Propst verified from the game tape.
As a result, Hooper was suspended for Reynolds’ next two games (against Carver and East Forsyth) by the NCHSAA, and Propst tossed in an extra two games (against Southwest Guilford and against Davie County in Reynolds’ conference opener on Oct. 9). Hooper will be eligible to play when Reynolds takes the field against Mount Tabor on Oct. 16.
Why the hard line?
“I have never in 18 years of coaching had a kid ejected, and I had to let him know that I can’t tolerate it,” Propst said. When asked how Hooper took the news, Propst said: “He didn’t have a choice.”