After days of outrage behind a story that turned into a national debate about high school football, a school in Michigan has punished one of their own players for senselessly and viciously injuring a much smaller opponent by belly flopping on top of them and fracturing their spine. The egregious act occurred during a JV matchup between Lakeshore and Kalamazoo Central high schools. The actual punishment is unknown at this time, but there have been repercussions.
Player Punished For Illegal Pancacking Leading To Spinal Samage Of Much Smaller Opponent
Images from the shocking incident during a game showed 15-year-old Colton Mims lying on the ground after being pancaked by an offensive lineman. Moments later, with Mims still lying on the turf, the much bigger offensive lineman leapt into the air and slammed his body on top of Colton, causing serious damage. It was one of the more brazen acts of unsportsmanlike conduct you will see. Colton was diagnosed with two spinal fractures as a result of the senseless incident.
The incident outraged people across the country, prompting Kalamazoo Central to release a statement saying they took ‘strong and decisive action’ against their own player.
‘Due to student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the specific accountability actions, but they have exceeded what (Michigan High School Athletics Association) regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior,’ the school told Fox News.
Kalamazoo school district released a statement deploring the act as behavior that’s ‘unacceptable and does not reflect the values of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity that Kalamazoo Public Schools expects from student-athletes, coaches and the entire school community.’
Colton Mims’ Mom, Courtney, Says Family Is Devastated
Colton was immediately carried off the field.
“As soon as it clicked that it was (my son), I couldn’t be stopped. I had to go down there. “I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son,” Courtney Mims, Colton’s mom, told local reporters.
Colt was given muscle relaxers and treated for his spinal injuries then released by the hospital. For now, he will miss the remainder of the season, which is a crushing blow to the teen and his family.
“He’s out at least for this season. We don’t know if he’s going to be able to play again… These boys are high school boys. They’re 15 years old. The game means a lot to them. It’s their whole life right now. They’re there from before I get up to go to work in the morning till after dinner, putting in the work, and for somebody to try to take that from somebody doing so much is awful for me to see,” Courtney stated.
Social Media Reacted Passionately To Colton Mims’ Story
A Facebook post the next day, celebrating a 26-7 Kalamazoo win, noted that the win “was for Colton.
Most internet commenters are not happy with the punishment that was dolled out in what was a clear assault on the field.
“The offending player should be suspended from school, prosecuted, and the coach or coaches should be permanently suspended for suggesting and encouraging such action,” one commenter stated.
Other netizens were upset that the game wasn’t stopped after the play, while others blamed the coaches for the player’s infraction.
“Investigate. If it’s found that the player was taught this, the coaches in question should be disciplined. The player should be suspended for the remainder of the season, if not for life. Then there is the matter of a civil suit. That’s always a possibility,” wrote another.
Colton Now Faces Long Recovery, May Never Play Again
Colton’s mom is using the attention and support she’s gained from this unfortunate incident to raise awareness about unsafe tactics and the risks young athletes face.
Some netizens also highlighted that such types of injuries could end up affecting Colton for life.
“Colton Mims will likely need to get back X-rays and checkups for many years. Regardless of how quickly he may appear to heal, any kind of accident, even a slip and fall on an icy driveway years from now, could result in lifelong paralysis,” said one concerned netizen.
“The school and the police need to take immediate action regarding the brute who purposely pancaked him,” another person stated.