High school football players hit opponents with belts after 77-0 win, TX video shows
Football players from a Montgomery County, Texas, high school are facing consequences handed down by the district for ”inappropriate” actions following a game.
After defeating Liberty County’s Cleveland High School 77-0 on Friday, Sept. 27, several Willis High School football players spanked their opponents with belts rather than the traditional act of shaking their hands, a now viral Facebook video shows.
See the video here. Warning: The video contains behavior and language some may find offensive.
“Different level of disrespect,” the video’s poster, Stephan Hughey, said in the caption of the video that was posted on Oct. 1.
The players were a part of a viral trend referred to as the BTA challenge, which stands for “belt to ***,” where players spank their opponents with belts instead of the sportsmanlike tradition of shaking hands following a loss, the Houston Chronicle reported.
The Cleveland Independent School District took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to comment on the video after it began circulating on social media.
“The district is aware of a video making the rounds on social media involving the Willis High School varsity football team and their inappropriate actions towards our varsity football team following last Friday night’s game,” the district said in a post on Oct. 3. “Please know that this situation has been addressed by CISD earlier this week.”
The Willis Independent School District also released a statement, telling KHOU it has punished the players who were involved.
“We are deeply disappointed by the unsportsmanlike conduct displayed by some of our football players following last week’s game against Cleveland. This behavior does not reflect the values of our district, and we are committed to ensuring it does not happen again. We have been in communication with the UIL and have submitted our proposed disciplinary actions for review. While we await their decision on any additional sanctions, the athletes involved have already faced consequences.
“They will be suspended for the first half of tomorrow’s game, required to complete community service, and have undergone disciplinary measures during football practice. We do not condone this behavior, and we are actively taking steps to prevent such incidents in the future. We want to express our deepest regrets to the athletes, coaches, parents, and community of Cleveland ISD.”
The Willis Wildcats play against College Park on Oct. 4.
Montgomery County is about a 40-mile drive north from Houston.