If you cheat at girls flag football? cracked me up
<table class="headlineBelow"> <tbody> <tr> <td>
Stranahan coach Bennett Wyche is seen grabbing the flag (highlighted in yellow) of Western safety Jessica Lucarelli as she runs past him. (Bob Calder, courtesy)
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Referees caught Stranahan flag football coach Bennett Wyche on Tuesday pulling the flag of a Western High player headed for the end zone.
What Wyche didn't know was that a spectator's camera caught him in the act as well.
A photograph sent to the Sun Sentinel shows the coach grabbing the flag of Western safety Jessica Lucarelli as she speeds past him on an interception return.
"There was nobody between [Lucarelli] and the end zone," said Western coach James O'Brien. "I even heard the ref turn to the coach and say, ‘What are you doing?'"
The District 22 flag football semifinal was scoreless with about eight minutes remaining when the junior intercepted a pass around the 50-yard line and started down the sideline.
"I saw the coach out of the corner of my eye," Lucarelli said. "I was shocked. You definitely don't expect something like that to happen. I was upset. He took away my glory and was teaching a horrible example to his players. What does it prove?"
A referee ruled unsportsmanlike conduct and credited the Wildcats with a touchdown. Western won 6-0 to advance to Wednesday's District 22 title game against Fort Lauderdale at South Plantation High. Fort Lauderdale defeated Western 7-6.
"It was the wrong thing to do," said Wyche, last year's Sun Sentinel Coach of the Year after guiding the Dragons to a state semifinal appearance. "It was embarrassing and we have no comments on it."
Neither Stranahan Athletic Director Jen Hamilton nor Principal Deborah Owens could be reached by phone Wednesday.
"The more that I think about it, the more I think he should be reprimanded," O'Brien said. "But I'm going to let administrators handle that." <!-- sphereit end -->
<script type="text/javascript">textSize()</script>
Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
<script src="http://static.newstogram.com/sunsentinel/js/usercode.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script src="http://static.newstogram.com/sunsentinel/js/histogram.js" type="text/javascript"></script> <script>DMTrackCookie('c3ea3feb46da11d045e713c80df21e1d','',"DMLogVisit('',2)");</script>
<table class="headlineBelow"> <tbody> <tr> <td>
Stranahan coach Bennett Wyche is seen grabbing the flag (highlighted in yellow) of Western safety Jessica Lucarelli as she runs past him. (Bob Calder, courtesy)</td></tr></tbody></table>
Referees caught Stranahan flag football coach Bennett Wyche on Tuesday pulling the flag of a Western High player headed for the end zone.
What Wyche didn't know was that a spectator's camera caught him in the act as well.
A photograph sent to the Sun Sentinel shows the coach grabbing the flag of Western safety Jessica Lucarelli as she speeds past him on an interception return.
"There was nobody between [Lucarelli] and the end zone," said Western coach James O'Brien. "I even heard the ref turn to the coach and say, ‘What are you doing?'"
The District 22 flag football semifinal was scoreless with about eight minutes remaining when the junior intercepted a pass around the 50-yard line and started down the sideline.
"I saw the coach out of the corner of my eye," Lucarelli said. "I was shocked. You definitely don't expect something like that to happen. I was upset. He took away my glory and was teaching a horrible example to his players. What does it prove?"
A referee ruled unsportsmanlike conduct and credited the Wildcats with a touchdown. Western won 6-0 to advance to Wednesday's District 22 title game against Fort Lauderdale at South Plantation High. Fort Lauderdale defeated Western 7-6.
"It was the wrong thing to do," said Wyche, last year's Sun Sentinel Coach of the Year after guiding the Dragons to a state semifinal appearance. "It was embarrassing and we have no comments on it."
Neither Stranahan Athletic Director Jen Hamilton nor Principal Deborah Owens could be reached by phone Wednesday.
"The more that I think about it, the more I think he should be reprimanded," O'Brien said. "But I'm going to let administrators handle that." <!-- sphereit end -->
<script type="text/javascript">textSize()</script>
Copyright © 2010, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
