Fort Myers athletes suspended from football indefinitely

LEE COUNTY, Fla.- The players involved in a fight that broke out during a preseason football game have been suspended indefinitely.

The game was between North Fort Myers and South Fort Myers high schools. North Fort Myers star running back Zaquandre White started throwing punches after a South Fort Myers player tackled him out of bounds. A brawl broke out shortly layer.

“You see the pro sports and everything where they get fighting and everything else,” said Phil Martin, “It just trickles down.”

The FHSAA is investigating the incident, but until the results are final, all players involved in the fight are suspended from football.

“It’s just a game,” Martin said. “Nothing to get that serious about, I mean, it’s something to be serious about. Sure you want to win, but not to the point of fighting.”

North Fort Myers High School Principal Matt Meredois says he feels the same way.

“(I) went out there and spoke with the team today,” he said, “and talked to them about carrying themselves with character and integrity; talked to them about the importance of sportsmanship, the image North Fort Myers as projected over the years and wants to continue to project.”

Matt Meredios says they’re going to try to keep sports punishments for sports-related violations, but there’s no word on what the school district will hand down to those involved. As for the future of the football teams as a whole, the objective is the same.

“We can win with the guys that we have,” Meredios said. “If the guys believe, if they execute every single play, if they know the rules they can win.”

The FHSAA normally takes about a week to get back to schools regarding athlete suspensions. The district hasn’t and likely won’t release any disciplinary actions taken against those student athletes.