A Crawford County parent’s passionate Facebook post has sparked local outrage and calls for accountability following what many described as “unsportsmanlike and disrespectful” behavior by Clarksville students, coaches, and fans after a recent high school football game.
Taylor Smith, a member of the Crawford Co Talk (Indiana) Facebook group, shared her frustration late Friday, accusing Clarksville supporters of taunting Crawford County players and recording them as they left the field.
In her post, Smith claimed that the opposing team’s students, coaches, and even parents showed “zero sportsmanship” during and after the game. Smith wrote,
“From posting photoshopped pictures of our team and coach the night before the game to surrounding the walkway and our players walking off the field after the game yelling hateful taunting chants — all while shoving their phones in their faces recording them,” “Their students, coaches and parents should be ashamed of theirselves, I know I would be. Despicable excuses for human beings.”
Taylor Smith
Smith went on to praise the Crawford County players for maintaining composure despite the treatment, showcasing that eleven seniors had played their final game that night. She said,
“Our boys played hard tonight, handled themselves with dignity and gave everything they had,” “Eleven of those boys walked off that football field for the last time today and were met with mocking and belittling. No one deserves that.”
Taylor Smith
She concluded her post with pride for the team’s season and a message of perseverance. She wrote,
“We are immensely proud of each of you,” “let the scoreboard do the talking.”
Taylor Smith
The post, which included the hashtag #WolfpackPower, quickly gained traction among Crawford County residents and parents, drawing dozens of comments from community members who echoed Smith’s concerns.
Many commenters agreed that the situation was unacceptable and urged action to be taken against the Clarksville athletic program.
Sonya Hill Murphy expressed disappointment, saying,
That’s awful, sports are supposed to be fun, but most importantly, about learning good sportsmanship!!! We are all proud of our Wolfpack!!
Sonya Hill Murphy
Brandy Berg chimed in with an additional note of surprise, mentioning,
I agree with you 100%! The AD at Clarksville actually used to work at Crawford! He was the basketball coach!
Brandy Berg
Others called for higher-level reporting to the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA).
Nicci Williams Matheny commented,
The team coach needs to go to bat for his team. The school has to back him up and report to IHSAA!
Nicci Williams Matheny
Jennifer Daily provided further guidance, saying that if proof existed, it should be forwarded to the association. She even shared an image with the IHSAA’s contact details, adding,
“Good on you for advocating for our youth!”
Jennifer Daily
Some commenters reflected long-held frustration with Clarksville’s athletic conduct. Tammie Kinney wrote, “Yep!! That’s Clarksville for ya!”
Tim Eade encouraged documentation, warning,
Report this to the athletic Indiana Association. Good evidence needs to be preserved. Eventual heads will roll. Zero tolerance for bullying in our area.
Tim Eade
Roy-Penny Green echoed that sentiment, calling the incident “ridiculous.” Green said,
That’s ridiculous no respect and if the Clarksville school system don’t do something about it it’s only going to get a lot worse in the future. Just how many teams are they aloud to treat this way
Roy-Penny Green
Others, like Bj Smith, suggested a more direct approach:
Don’t play them …. Simple don’t expect 💩 to change its color or smell it’s still gonna be 💩 and it’s gonna act like 💩…. If teams keep playing and showing up there they are gonna keep doing the same thing ….
Bj Smith
Smith herself announced plans to contact Clarksville’s athletic director on Monday, urging others who witnessed the incident to do the same. She said,
“These boys don’t deserve how they were treated,” “Personally, I won’t go down without standing up for them.”
Taylor Smith
As of now, no public response has been issued by Clarksville High School or the IHSAA regarding the allegations.
