The Westland football team will be without a key player when it plays host to Dublin Scioto (1-4) on Friday.
Senior Kentrell Rinehart, the Cougars’ leading rusher, will miss the contest after being suspended for one game, according to Westland coach Trent Williamson.
Williamson said Rinehart was suspended due to “aggregate unsportsmanlike conduct penalties received last Friday as a part of on-field celebrations related to the team’s performance.”
Westland improved to 4-1 with a 41-0 win over Franklin Heights (2-3). Rinehart rushed for 66 yards and a touchdown before being ejected in the first quarter.
High school football: Central Ohio coaches weigh in on job’s biggest challenges
“According to OHSAA bylaws and National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules, unsportsmanlike conduct penalties are in-game decisions by officials at their discretion which are ineligible for suspension appeals,” Williamsson said. “We reached out to the OHSAA Tuesday to reaffirm that such penalties were ineligible for appeal, and they did confirm.”
Williamson expects his team to respond with a strong effort against Scioto in the OCC-Capital contest. Westland, Westerville North and Big Walnut are tied for first at 2-0. Scioto is 0-2.
High school football: 5 things to watch in Week 6 in Columbus area
“We’re looking forward to tonight’s game,” Williamson said. “It certainly is a next man-up mentality. Our collective call to action is the notion of Tough Street because we know at times during the season we will be tasked with overcoming a little adversity, however, we embrace that opportunity with enthusiasm and pride as a team. We look forward to the opportunity we have before us versus Dublin Scioto to do precisely that.”
Rinehart, who transferred from Ready after three seasons, has rushed for 630 yards and five touchdowns on 66 carries. He has 10 tackles and 3 ½ sacks at defensive end.
The Cougars are first in Division I, Region 2, ahead of No. 2 Hilliard Davidson (4-1).
Rinehart has committed to North Carolina State.
Get more high school sports news by listening to our podcasts
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Westland football RB Kentrell Rinehart suspended for Friday’s game
