Maryland powerhouse removes five players from team for hiring prostitutes
Maryland football powerhouse DeMatha High will have five fewer players on the roster for the rest of the season after an incident that occurred in the wee hours of Saturday morning, following the team's season-opening 52-14 win against Hillside (N.C.) High.
Instead of grabbing some much-needed shuteye, five players on DeMatha's team decided to use a web site to hire prostitutes from a call service in North Carolina (the team was playing an away game). According to the Washington Post, the players then waited until after final bed check at 1:30 a.m. and a 4 a.m. hallway check had been completed before sneaking three prostitutes into a hotel room at 5 a.m. and engaging in sexual acts.
"As you know any disciplinary action that takes place at the school, I can't legally or morally talk about discipline of any students," DeMatha Principal Dan McMahon told the Washington Post. "If people break team rules, there are team sanctions, and if people break school rules, there are school sanctions."
All five players have since been removed from the team. Two have reportedly withdrawn from the school, another is facing a disciplinary hearing, and the remaining two players have been "recommended for expulsion."
Obviously, this is a headache DeMatha was hoping to avoid -- given the fact that the school travels out of state on a regular basis for games. However, after this incident, it'll be interesting to see how the school proceeds with future out-of-state games.
Naturally, the blame falls solely on the players for making a decision that not only cost them a spot on the team, but a chance to receive a great education. At the same time, it's hard not to wonder how five players managed to get three prostitutes past 18 chaperones.
That's not a typo. According to the Post report, DeMatha had 18 chaperones in tow for the game. How the players managed to secure the services of the prostitutes and sneak them past nearly an offense and defense worth of parents is nothing short of incredible. It make you wonder what the parents were doing on the trip in the first place.
If you're wondering how this story broke in the first place, a so-called "person who is not a parent of an involved player" contacted the Post to report the story. I'm sure school officials appreciate a parent leaking information regarding the matter.
DeMatha may go on to have a stellar season, but there's no question this incident could have far-reaching repercussions for the football program.
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