By Holly Zachariah
The Columbus Dispatch
COLUMBUS, Ohio — It was supposed to be a routine post-game handshake on the football field.
But 27 members of the McClain High School Tigers got more than they bargained for Friday night from an opposing player who had been slapping their hands just a little too hard on his way down the line.
The visiting Washington Court House Blue Lions had just won 26-0 when the player tucked something sharp — most likely a tack — in his hand and pricked the players as they went by him, authorities said.
The only reason the rest of the team didn’t feel the sting was because some of the younger players in the back of the line noticed how hard the student was hitting and pulled away, said Dan Strain, principal of McClain, which is in Greenfield in Highland County and hosted the game.
The 27 players who were stuck all received tetanus shots Monday. They were scheduled to give blood samples for testing Tuesday and yesterday, Strain said. The district is paying for the tests, though the final cost isn’t yet known.
“Obviously, blood-borne pathogens and communicable diseases are the concern,” said Greenfield Police Chief Tim Hester, who investigated the incident.
He said the 16-year-old suspected in the incident was ineligible to play Friday night but was on the sidelines. The student has not confessed, and his mother has not allowed him to be interviewed by authorities, Hester said.
He turned the case over to the Highland County prosecutor’s office yesterday to see whether criminal charges are warranted.
Casey Wood, principal of Washington High School, said he has handled the matter, though he would not say how or if the student accused has been disciplined, citing student confidentiality.
“We don’t tolerate this behavior, and we don’t excuse it,” Wood said. “We hope the actions of one student — just one — do not reflect poorly on our team, our school or our district.”
This week, officials at McClain reinforced to their student-athletes that it was one student, not a whole team or district, and that no retaliation would be tolerated.
“We’ve reminded them about sportsmanship, and to behave like gentlemen,” Strain said.
He noted that the two schools played a soccer match Tuesday night. It went off without a hitch.
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