Following controversy, football team boasts WiHi Pride
DELMARVA – Local athletes are speaking up for themselves after comments have been made about their abilities.
Last week Stephen Decatur Coach Jake Coleman made a statement saying:
“When they graduate it’s tough- you know you have to replace them, here’s the other thing, the other teams that we play their seniors graduated too, well most likely unless they went to Wi-Hi.”
Aleishia Gibson, a Wicomico High School football parent, is disgusted after a coach made comments about WiHi’s academic abilities.
“That is not something you joke about this day and age, sorry that is just unacceptable,” Aleishia Gibson says.
She tells 47ABC that as a Team Mom she took strong offense to the comment because the team and school are always labeled as the underdog. Coach Jake Coleman with Stephen Decatur’s football team did issue a Facebook apology saying:
“I sincerely apologize to everyone who has viewed and listened to the insensitive comment I made during an interview with Bill Baker regarding football here on the shore. While I thought I was making a joke about reclassification, I realize now how thoughtless and inappropriate the comment was.
“I would just say that all our seniors on the team we all bought into the program and we all get 3.0s or higher,” McKinley says.
47ABC reached out to Wicomico school officials and they wouldn’t comment on this specific situation. However, they did say:
“Wicomico High School’s football program recently completed an amazing season as Salisbury City Champions with a 9-2 record under 3rd year coach Isaiah Taylor. These student-athletes not only excel on the field, but they are just as accomplished in the classroom. Of this 2021 Tribe football team, all 14 seniors are on track to graduate, eight of the fourteen are headed to college, and 38 players received the Mind In Motions Certificate for achieving a 3.25 Grade Point Average or higher and making the honor roll.”
Running Back BJ Cook says the facts should speak for themselves.
“When it comes down to the numbers and the people thats in it, we are really one of the best schools in the county 2.47 so I think if we continue to do that, it will come to the light one day 2.52 and everybody will see that,” Cook says.
The 3 students that 47 ABC spoke with have big plans after high school. Jayce Freeman is on a full scholarship to Stony Brook, Michael Mckinley is going to the Air Force and BJ has multiple offers on the table, however he is still undecided.
