Parents speak out after Hirschi-Graham football game

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - “These kids are talented. They get picked on because they are the underdogs. I want to support my kids, I don’t want them showing up on location and scared to walk in because of the color of their skin.”

That was one of many Hirschi parents who spoke out at a Monday night booster club meeting, saying it’s time for change.

An incident on the football field has opened a discussion that many at Hirschi and Graham said started hours before Friday night’s kickoff after the game was officially suspended in the final seconds of the third quarter.

Tensions started to rise when a post was made hours before kickoff on a high school football app from someone claiming to be from Graham.

Graham ISD Superintendent Sonny Cruse said once he heard about the racially insensitive comments made on the Dave Campbell’s Football Friday app, he immediately took action to find out who was behind these comments.

With the help of Dave Campbell’s, Cruse was able to find the registration name and email of the account. While that’s all they know as of Monday, they’re not stopping there.

Cruse said the district will continue to work to figure out who is exactly behind the screen, even with the help of the IP address of the account.

“We must stop repeating the sins of the past,” Cruse said. “We have to grow as human beings and do better by our kids. I really see this as an adult issue. This starts with adults. This starts in our homes.”

As we mentioned earlier, concerned Hirschi parents and residents filled the Hirschi cafeteria Monday night to discuss everything that transpired on and off the field Friday night.

Hirschi’s head football coach Lawrence Johnson was also at the meeting. He, his coaching staff, and the players held a meeting Monday morning to discuss everything that had happened.

“It’s something they shouldn’t have to go through,” Johnson said. “They should just be able to focus on the game of football. We pride ourselves on teaching them real-world experiences. We’re setting them up for life. Life is hard. It’s not fair. The only thing that’s promised to you is a hard time.”

Wichita Falls ISD Superintendent Donny Lee and athletic director Scot Hafley were also at the meeting, hearing the concerns of the parents and residents.

The question on everyone’s mind is what’s next since the game was suspended in the third quarter. Hirschi was leading 24-14 at the time, but things are in the hands of the district executive committee. The DEC will meet on Wednesday at 1 p.m. to determine a winner.

Also, this will be in the hands of the UIL since both districts have made reports. Both parties could have to meet in front of the State Executive Committee in the future as well. News Channel 6 will continue to update this story as we learn more.

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