Skyline HS (WA) is one of the most respected high school football programs in the entire state of Washington.
However, the program is starting to make national headlines after a controversial district decision sidelined head coach Peyton Pelluer with a suspension.
Pelluer, the second-year head coach who had the team at 4-2 prior to being handed the disciplinary action, was hit with a suspension just hours before their game Friday against Woodinville after an internal investigation was initiated by the district.
Before taking over at his alma mater, Pelluer played under Mike Leach at Washington State before starting his coaching career with stops at USC and reuniting with Leach at Mississippi State.
According to Eli Sports Network, the central issue at hand is a claim among parents that Pelluer and his staff are "not playing the correct players." Parents took those complaints to the school administration, sparking the suspension and subsequent investigation.
After learning of the details behind for the suspension, the Skyline coaching staff released a statement over the weekend via assistant coach Gino Simone's Facebook page.
In the statement, they "respectfully but firmly" request Pelluer's immediate reinstatement, sharing that they will not return to the sidelines until he returns to lead the program.
Despite the adversity of losing their head coach hours before kickoff, Skyline took the field Friday night and won handily against Woodinville, 49-14. The victory improved their record to 5-2 on the year and put them in a three-way tie atop the division.
After an outpouring of support over the weekend, the coaching staff was able to meet with administration, where they were told a decision would be made regarding Pelluer one way or another by 1pm local time, according to an additional statement made by the staff shared by ESN.
If the community emails, national outrage, and other support coming from around the country haven't moved the needle enough in Pelluer's favor for the school's administration, former Wazzu and NFL quarterback turned author Luke Falk has also come out in support of his former college roomate with a public statement on the matter.
Sounds like a decision is set to be made on this later today, so stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest details.
Tuesday Afternoon Update> Appears the coaches won this one. Coach Pelluer has been reinstated.
