A high school football player in Michigan has been punished by Kalamazoo Central after a disturbing incident during a junior varsity game last week. The school did not reveal its disciplinary actions.
Nor did it announce any kind of punishment for the coach who encouraged violence prior to the game.
This unfortunate high school football incident took place last Thursday. It left an opposing player with a broken spine.
The high school football player will be punished.
The aforementioned incident took place in Berrien County, Michigan when Lakeshore traveled to Kalamazoo Central. One of the largest players on the Maroon Giants roster pancake blocked a defensive lineman to the ground, got back to his feet, and jumped directly on top of the downed opponent.
The pancake block was completely legal. His full-send belly flop was not.
— – (@Spicoli_____) September 21, 2025
No. 73 did not get flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct during the game but he will be punished. The player on which he landed broke his spine in two places and may not ever return to high school football.
Kalamazoo Central High School released the following statement in response to the incident:
“At Kalamazoo Central High School, we hold our student-athletes to high standards of sportsmanship, respect, and integrity on and off the field.
“An incident that occurred during the recent JV football game does not represent our football program, our coaching staff, or the values of our school community. This was the action of an individual student who made a poor choice, acting on a social media video not connected to our team or coaches.
“The behavior was addressed, and the student has received consequences consistent with the Kalamazoo Public Schools Student Code of Conduct and in compliance with MHSAA regulations.
“We remain committed to modeling and teaching positive sportsmanship and ensuring that Kalamazoo Central continues to be a place where athletics build character, teamwork, and pride.”
It did not expand further on the consequences. MHSAA regulations do not define a specific course of action for this kind of incident so the statement is open for interpretation.
Kalamazoo Central High School will protect its students.
The discourse surrounding this specific junior varsity football event got out of hand in a hurry. Race became a primary talking point. People with no knowledge of the region, the school or its constituents were very quick to use labels. It got pretty nasty social media.
No matter how terrible the incident, Kalamazoo Central principal Valerie Boggan vows to protect her students. She will continue to lift them up and help them grow as members of society.
“As Principal of Kalamazoo Central High School, I will not allow this page to become a place where children are attacked. These are young people still learning and growing and they deserve to be treated with dignity, even when a poor decision has serious consequences.
“Lives were changed in a single moment, and I am devastated that a child was injured. There must be accountability, there must be consequences, and there must also be room for learning, healing, and moving forward.
“I will not give credence to harmful words or public attacks. If you have concerns, you are welcome to reach out to me privately. I will not comment on the status of my student.
“We are a community. We do not tear down children in public forums. I ask that we all rise above, support both families, and set an example of the kind of world we want our students to build.”
Well said. These are just kids at the end of the day.
The coach will not be punished.
As far as I am aware, the junior varsity high school football coaches at Kalamazoo Central will not receive reprimand. The school did not announce any additional punishment.
However, a video posted to TikTok prior to the game appears to encourage violence.
If that is the case, it raises concerns about the culture of the team and there are calls for the coach to be fired. I received the following message from a retired on-field official with thirty years of on-field experience and another 15 years of video:
“If, as it seems, the lyrics encourage violence and hurting others, the coach playing the music, the head coach, and the administrator who approved its use should lose their jobs and licenses to teach.”
The Maroon Giants will return to the field on Thursday night without No. 73. Their coach remains on staff.