The Cellar - Will be in Milwaukee this week...

Speaking of Pewaukee.

Quote:

On the day that New Berlin Eisenhower and Pewaukee High Schools' varsity football teams play for the Woodland Conference championship, junior varsity players and coaches for Eisenhower are receiving their punishment for an incident of public urination during the teams' junior varsity game earlier this week.

The New Berlin School District has decided to discipline several Eisenhower junior varsity football players and coaches for relieving themselves on Pewaukee High School's field.

Additionally, the JV team's coaches will be suspended one game each, with suspensions staggered over different games.

John's Journal: What Would This Play Be Called?

Reaction: Newsradio 620 WTMJ's Jeff Wagner discusses the incident with callers

The district found that there was "no animosity" behind the incident.

"The children and coaches are being disciplined," said District Administrator Paul Kreutzer, who noted that Pewaukee's locker rooms were locked before Monday night's game. "There were supervision issues and the kids showed poor judgment. They didn't make a wise decision but there was no animosity there."

Parents of Pewaukee's players, though, disagreed.

"I was very mad and I thought it was completely rude and uncalled for," said Michele Bellows, whose son plays for Pewaukee's junior varsity team. "I thought that they were making a statement like 'the heck with you guys.' "

Pewaukee Athletic Director John Maltsch admonished the boys and their coach over the public address system, saying "Coach, we do have facilities for your players to use."

One Eisenhower player told Newsradio 620 WTMJ that his teammates' actions were not malicious in nature.

"The coaches told us before the game that the bathrooms were locked and at halftime we just told them that we were going to the bathroom," he insisted.

But an Eisenhower parent, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the bathrooms were open and that her husband used the men's room at halftime.

The event will increase the level of rivalry between the teams for tonight's game.

"I know for a fact [that the incident will add fuel to the rivalry] because the kids have been talking that we're going to somehow pay them back, but we're going to do it the right way--by winning the game," Bellows said.

Dr. Kreutzer voiced concerns about the game, but assured students and spectators that the District was taking the necessary precautions to ensure safety.

"We are absolutely not going to tolerate anything [inappropriate]," he said. "Security has been tripled for this game."

Last season, former Eisenhower junior varsity coach Clint Grochowski was suspended for two games after pushing a Pewaukee player to the ground.