What happened during a few seconds at midfield before DeSoto’s season opener quickly became one of the most viral stories in high school football.
Before Saturday’s nationally televised game against St. Thomas Aquinas in Fort Lauderdale, four DeSoto captains walked to midfield for the coin toss. When the St. Thomas Aquinas captains extended their hands, three DeSoto players declined to shake them.
Texas Tech commit SaRod Baker appeared to be the only DeSoto captain who initially shook one player’s hand.
Video of the exchange exploded across social media. Different versions and reposts of the clip accumulated millions of views, while coverage spread well beyond Texas. The incident was picked up by major newspapers and national sports publications and became a significant talking point throughout the opening weekend of the high school football season.
The attention only increased after St. Thomas Aquinas, one of the country’s top-ranked programs, defeated DeSoto 38-14 after building a 38-0 halftime lead.
By Monday, the handshake video had generated a substantial national backlash.
DeSoto’s football program and athletic department then publicly addressed the incident. The football program apologized to St. Thomas Aquinas and said the situation would be used as an opportunity for its players to learn from their mistake. DeSoto ISD Athletic Director Dr. M.T. Tyeskie said the players involved would face consequences.
DeSoto Football has addressed the incident that occurred at the St. Thomas Aquinas football game. We view this as an opportunity for our young men to learn and grow from their mistakes.
We would like to formally apologize to the St. Thomas Aquinas community, coaching staff, and…
The timing of any conversations or disciplinary action that may have occurred privately before Monday has not been made public.
Head coach Claude Mathis also addressed the controversy Monday. He said the decision not to shake hands was made by the players without the coaching staff’s knowledge. Mathis said he apologized to the St. Thomas Aquinas head coach and athletic director and made clear that refusing the handshake did not represent the standards of his program.
Mathis also praised Baker for shaking hands and holding his teammates accountable.
Sportsmanship remains an important part of Texas high school football. Throughout the summer and during Week 1, there have been countless examples of players competing intensely while still showing respect for opponents before, during, and after games.
The DeSoto captains should have returned the handshake. The program has acknowledged that.
At the same time, criticism of that decision should not turn into personal or racial attacks against high school students. Mathis said some of the comments directed toward his players crossed that line after the video went viral.
DeSoto has also built one of Texas’s high school football’s premier programs under Mathis. The Eagles have won three state championships in the last four seasons and have consistently developed players for the college level.
One viral pregame mistake does not erase that history.
Mathis said the teams shook hands after Saturday’s game, and there were no further issues between the programs.
Now DeSoto moves forward with an opportunity to reinforce the same sportsmanship standards that Texas high school football programs demonstrate every week.
