Lakes vs. Bonney Lake football ended at halftime. What happened on the field?
A varsity high school football game between the Lakes Lancers and the Bonney Lake Panthers on Friday night was called off at halftime due to rising tensions between the two teams.
“There’s an investigation going on,” Lakes coach Dave Miller told The News Tribune by phone on Monday. “I thought the officials missed a lot of calls early in the game that escalated the environment.”
Miller declined to comment further or talk about specifics of what led to the escalating tensions. Efforts to reach Bonney Lake coach Javid Shoemaker for comment were unsuccessful.
Lakes was leading at halftime, 21-2. Administrators from both schools, in coordination with the officiating crew, decided to call the game at halftime. In a statement to The News Tribune, a spokesperson for the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District said ending the game was a joint decision.
“After a series of penalties, emotions on the field began to run high,” the statement reads. “Following a discussion between both teams’ coaches and school administrators, a joint decision was made to end the game in the interest of safety.”
A video obtained by The News Tribune shows a Bonney Lake player appearing upset after being helped up by a Lakes coach on the sideline. It’s unclear whether any fights broke out at any point during the half.
The News Tribune also reached out to the Clover Park School District for comment Monday but as of 3 p.m. had not yet received a response. Miller, the Lakes coach, said an investigation is ongoing and is expected to be concluded sometime this week.
According to the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District, the matchup will be recorded as a no contest and will not affect either team’s record.
The game was held at Bonney Lake High School. The program has been hosting games on campus in the past couple of years after previously playing games at Sunset Chev Stadium, which is on the campus of Sumner High School.
“The Sumner-Bonney Lake School District is committed to upholding the values of sportsmanship and safety,” the district’s statement concludes. “Our players are held accountable in accordance with district expectations and policies.”
