“Pike Sends Letter to IHSAA in Response to Pike-Ben Davis Fracas”

Yes, it’s that story we’ve heard so many times, I’ve probably lost more than half of my loyal blog readers already just by looking at this; but I promise you, I will be covering something else later this week.

Anyway, for those that have been living under a rock, let me elaborate on the story up to Sunday, January 31: On Saturday, January 16, Pike and Ben Davis was playing a girls basketball game at Ben Davis. It is notable in that Pike and Ben Davis have such an charged rivalry between them, getting between Pike and Ben Davis is like getting between a mama bear and her cub. And sadly, the charged atmosphere boiled over and resulted in a brawl that forced the IHSAA to cancel Pike and Ben Davis’ girls basketball season, including tournament games, and including both Pike and Ben Davis’ games against us. Carmel had to play Jay County for senior night instead of Ben Davis. Since then, debate has sparked as to whether the IHSAA overstepped its bounds and gave too harsh a punishment, considering not everyone was involved in the brawl, including one Pike senior who retreated to the bench, only to pay the same price as everyone else.

This all has caused an enormous spark of outrage, forcing Pike superintendent Nathaniel Jones to send a letter to the IHSAA on Sunday, January 31. While I wish I could reprint the letter, there is not only not enough space, but I would be guilty of copyright infringement. So, let me just hit the key points on the matter:

Pike’s letter said that Pike will not challenge the decision, claiming that the girls basketball team incident “saddened” Jones, and in addition “several players have received additional sanctions, and schoolwide sportsmanship activities have already begun”.

However, in that same letter, the superintendent called into question the “lack of procedural safeguards” and the absolute power the commissioner had. He repeatedly referred to his school district as MSD Pike and he also repeatedly used the phrase “member schools”, trying to speak for the majority, and not just for Pike.

Anyway, Jones letter basically said that there should be a hearing before any punishment is decided, there should be IHSAA board members reviewing the “vague and broad” bylaws governing brawling, and there should be a specific definition of what defines a “bench clearing brawl”. He again cited the senior who retreated to the bench and did not participate in the brawl.

I firmly applaud the IHSAA for taking a hard stance on this, but I also firmly agree with Pike in that there needs to be a hearing before any severe punishment like Pike received is applied and implemented. And the hearing needs to be where evidence can be brought to the table, witnesses can be called, etc. After all, this is America, where its a democracy, not North Korea where one man wields an iron fist. Catch you all next week.