Coaches’ scuffle mars football game

The afternoon began with the Muskie senior football team smashing a pumpkin bearing the #20 on the sidelines in reference to stopping Byron McKenzie, the Dryden Eagles’ star running back.
It continued with calls of “Stop the pumpkin!” by the Muskie defence before the snap of the ball throughout the game.
It ended with a skirmish involving three assistant coaches.
On the final play here Friday afternoon in the 64-0 blowout, which featured a plethora of late hits, dirty plays, penalties, and ejections, Muskie quarterback Gary Wager (who also plays defence) picked off an errant pass and promptly spiked the ball in the direction of the Dryden bench.
Dryden assistant coach Glen Kawahara took exception to that, and stood nose-to-nose with Wager while offering spicy words of advice as the teams were about to shake hands.
That’s when Muskie assistant coach Bob Whitburn charged up, which prompted a scuffle between him and Kawahara.
(Several Muskie coaches believed they saw Kawahara physically grab Wager. But Kawahara denied doing so Monday night, and a videotape of the game made by Videon 11 does not show him physically grabbing Wager).
Whitburn, who had to be physically restrained by Muskie head coach Bob Swing during a controversial tackle earlier in the game, first got into a pushing match with Kawahara.
Then Eagle coach Ward Cockriell got into the mix.
Cockriell charged at Whitburn from the side, and by accounts made by the Muskie coaching staff, struck Whitburn first. But it was he who came away with a bloodied nose for his efforts.
Cockriell and Kawahara both refused further comment Monday evening.
Fort High athletic director Rick Wiedenhoeft confirmed Whitburn has been suspended for the rest of the season (two games). He also “suspected” the league would take further action against all three coaches.
It’s also believed three Muskie players were suspended for one game for the pumpkin-smashing incident.
Simply put, these two teams do not like each other.
The Eagles accused the Muskies of running up the score. The Muskies were upset with Dryden’s continued attempt to cause injuries.
“There was a clothesline play, there was kneeing, punches to the groin,” complained Muskie assistant coach Greg Allan. “I hope our players don’t do that.”
Eagle head coach Geoff Zilkalns, who appeared calm outside the locker room after the game, said the coaches are well aware they have some players who “live on the edge” while making plays.
But he said they took exception to the Muskies’ “trick plays” at the end of the game to run up the score and their “taunting after the whistle.”
“The fight was unexpected,” said Zilkalns, although it was clear to everyone on the sidelines that tension was quickly mounting on both sides.
“Their quarterback came over and taunted our bench, their coach came over and got into it, and our coach got into it,” he added. “Saner heads tried to prevail then our guy, who is 50 years old, got punched.”
Several warning signs led to the tempers flaring:
•the Muskies’ persistent reference to Dryden’s top player as a pumpkin (a tradition by former Fort High teams for the past seven years);
•dirty plays throughout and the three player ejections for rough play;
•several penalty calls of the 15- and 25-yard variety;
•the 64-0 score (in fact, the Eagles took a pair of delay-of-game penalties inside their own five-yard line midway through the fourth quarter in an attempt to quiet the Muskie defensive players); and
•the referee called the team captains together on two separate occasions to discuss the dirty play.
< *c>Full responsibility
Swing took full responsibility for the actions of his players and coaches.
“It was my responsibility to control my players and my coaches,” said Swing, still in awe of what happened. “I have to–I’m the head coach.”
Swing said he doesn’t “condone” Whitburn’s conduct, and added any disciplinary action should be handed out by a decision made by league conveners, himself, and school administration.
As for Dryden’s complaint the Muskies ran up the score in the second half when they already were leading 35-0 at the break?
“We ran basic football plays and basic football plays scored touchdowns,” said Swing. “I beat my best friend 63-0 [in reference to the win over the Sturgeon Creek Schooners coached by Watt] like that last year.
“I’ve been on the other side of that this year when we couldn’t stop basic plays,” he added. “I didn’t feel comfortable playing my young backups because of previous incidents which occurred within the game.
“Examples are the blatant hits from behind, the clothesline, and the groin shot.”
“It looked like they [Dryden] quit on the field,” added Allan. “We got hammered like that in Wadena and our guys never quit.”