Parents accuse East Texas Youth Football League organizers of bad sportsmanship
KINGWOOD, Texas (KTRK) -- Drama is unfolding in the East Texas Youth Football League, as parents accuse league organizers of bad sportsmanship for stopping an undefeated team from competing in the playoffs.
"Oh, it's definitely bad sportsmanship," said a separate team coach Robert Campbell.
Parents say the Kingwood team, the Mustangs, who went undefeated this year, were told after their last regular season game last weekend that they could not play in the playoffs.
Parents say league organizers, also known as the alliance, referred to the league's by-laws for their reasoning, first accusing the team of cheating to select all of the same players from last year during the draft.
But Campbell, who coaches a different team in Kingwood, says the players were selected in a fair and square draft.
"We did our analysis based off of tryouts of the players," said Campbell.
Parents say the alliance explained that by-laws prevent one championship team from having too many returning players.
The league's by-laws in the handbook note that players, even returning, must participate in a fair draft, but notes nothing on players returning to the same team.
Eyewitness News asked 11-year-old Austin Benge, who played with the undefeated team, why he thinks they did not get to play in the playoffs.
"Because we were too good and they kicked us out," he responded.
Eyewitness News reached out to alliance president Eddie Caseras, but he did not return our request for a comment or explanation.
