Carlisle School District Superintendent BJ Greene says a senior football player was incorrectly ejected from Friday night’s game against Des Arc, resulting in the player missing more than half of the contest.
In a statement released Sunday, Greene said he had received several questions about rumors that the player had been reinstated and wanted to clarify what the district knew about the situation.
Greene emphasized that Carlisle was not blaming the officiating crew for its loss to Des Arc.
“Simply put, Friday night Des Arc was the better football team and earned the win on the field,” Greene said. “I am also not saying the officials caused Carlisle to lose the football game. Des Arc earned that victory.”
Instead, Greene said his concerns were limited to the ejection of a Carlisle player, which he said was incorrectly called by the officiating crew.
According to Greene, the ejection occurred with approximately nine minutes remaining in the second quarter, causing the player to miss the remainder of the first half and the entire second half.
Greene said he has since spoken directly with the head official from the game and representatives of the Arkansas Activities Association.
“The head official acknowledged that his crew made a mistake, did not submit the ejection, and sent an email to the AAA explaining the error,” Greene said.
Greene said Saturday that he was still waiting for official confirmation from the AAA that the ejection had been reversed. Based on information he had received, however, Greene said he understood that the player would not face the additional punishment normally associated with an ejection and would be eligible to play in Carlisle’s next game.
Greene said Carlisle and the head official have also reviewed video of the play and that the official acknowledged the ejection.
The superintendent said he appreciated the official’s willingness to acknowledge the mistake and recognized the difficulty of officiating high school athletics.
“Officials have an extremely difficult job, and I understand that mistakes are going to happen during the course of an athletic contest,” Greene said. “At the same time, this particular mistake resulted in a senior student-athlete losing more than half of a football game that he cannot get back.”
Greene said he has communicated his concerns directly to the AAA and requested that the situation be addressed. He said he would allow the association an opportunity to respond before discussing those conversations publicly.
The superintendent also made clear that the district’s concerns about the ejection do not change its expectations for players and coaches.
“Our coaches and student-athletes are expected to conduct themselves appropriately and are held accountable when they do not,” Greene said. “We do not condone unsportsmanlike conduct, and that will not change because of this situation.”
Greene said he also believes he has a responsibility to advocate for Carlisle students when questions arise about whether they have been treated appropriately.
“I believe I have a responsibility as superintendent to ask questions, gather the facts, and advocate for our students when necessary,” Greene said. “That is what I have done in this situation, and I will continue to do so.”
