By Betty Gandee

Each high school team has that one school that you play against during homecoming week that you get pumped up for.

From homecoming activities all throughout that week to a pep rally, students get their spirits up and gear up for a big win.  Friendly rivalry is nothing out of the norm and is welcomed as a part of the game.  However, many Clay County parents believe that students from Roane County have gone too far this school year.

This concern stems from an incident that occurred during the 2018-19 football season.  Roane County staff allowed students to perform a skit that included comments on Clay County residents being illiterate, inbred, and many other offensive names. This was all recorded and posted to several social media sights. The outrage and comments were so overwhelming that the principal of Roane County, Bill Heis, issued the following apology letter;

“Dear Roane and Clay County Communities,

A skit was performed Friday afternoon during our celebration of Homecoming/Pep Rally.  The skit was inappropriate for high school and should not have been performed; it most definitely does not convey the values and beliefs that we hold in high esteem at Roane County High School.  The skit is not an accurate reflection of our student body and staff.  I want to sincerely apologize to both the Roane and Clay community for the inappropriate skit.

Again, my most sincere apologies, Bill Heis, Principal.”

After the letter was issued, Clay County students and staff came together to post 100 positive comments to one another on a poster.  This activity was geared to show respect for one another and to show the what panther pride looked like.

Fast forward to basketball season, once again these schools found themselves in the same predicament. Clay traveled to Roane County this past week and was surprised to find signs of several players numbers found on trash cans, calling these players trash.  Along with these signs, the student section seemed to be unruly, causing a scene, being on the court, tripping, spitting on, and cursing the players as they ran down to court.

Many requests were made to have the students stay off the court, resulting in Clay county fans getting kicked from the game. Parents were outraged as the principal was present and no action was taken. Following the game, social media blew up with comments about said events.  You can find these comments on twitter at ROCO Barstool, where many un-friendly remarks seem to raising concern for upcoming events between these schools. So you decide, is this all part of the game or is this taking it to far?