梅萨 Desert Ridge 高中橄榄球队风波持续数周：主教练 Miles Smith 据报辞职 学区称尚未收到正式辞呈
位于亚利桑那州马里科帕县 Mesa 市的 Desert Ridge 高中橄榄球队持续数周的风波再有新进展。据《亚利桑那共和报》10月19日报道，该校橄榄球队主教练 Miles Smith 已经辞职，一名球员家长向该报证实了这一消息。不过，Gilbert 公立学区首席传播官 Dawn Mackay 表示，截至周一晚间，学区尚未收到正式辞呈，教练去留仍待官方确认。
这场风波始于10月5日：Miles Smith 开除了首发四分卫、高年级球员 Gunner Brewer，起因是 Brewer 在三天前一场14比12战胜 Vail Cienega 高中的比赛中擅自改打了一个战术。10月7日，12名队友在队会上离席声援 Brewer，随后被禁赛至赛季结束，其中5人是高年级学生。10月15日对阵 Corona del Sol 高中的比赛，Brewer 回到场边支持队友。
Miles Smith 的父亲、前 NFL 主教练 Lovie Smith 此前以志愿助教身份在队中帮忙，据报也将一同离开；10月9日对阵 Mesa Red Mountain 高中的比赛前，Lovie Smith 还曾与一名球队支持者发生激烈冲突，引发外界关注。Desert Ridge 高中「美洲豹」队上赛季10战全败，本季正处重建期，球队定于10月23日（周五）客场对阵 Gilbert Highland 高中。在赛季最后几周，主教练人选和12名被禁赛球员能否归队，是该校最受关注的两个悬念。（GSM 据《亚利桑那共和报》、USA Today 报道）
Mesa Desert Ridge High Football Turmoil Enters Another Week: Head Coach Miles Smith Reportedly Resigns, District Says No Formal Resignation Received
The weeks-long turmoil around the football program at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, Maricopa County, Arizona, took another turn this week. According to reporting by The Arizona Republic on October 19, head coach Miles Smith has resigned, a development a player's parent confirmed to the newspaper. However, Dawn Mackay, chief communications and community engagement officer for Gilbert Public Schools, said that as of Monday evening the district had not received an official resignation, and the coach's status remained unconfirmed.
The controversy began on October 5, when Smith dismissed senior starting quarterback Gunner Brewer after Brewer changed a play during a 14-12 victory over Vail Cienega three days earlier. On October 7, twelve teammates walked out of a team meeting in support of Brewer and were suspended for the remainder of the season; five of the suspended players were seniors. Brewer returned to support his teammates during Desert Ridge's October 15 game against Corona del Sol.
Smith's father, former NFL head coach Lovie Smith, had served as a volunteer assistant and is also reportedly leaving the program. The situation drew further attention on October 9, when Lovie Smith was involved in a heated confrontation with a football booster before a game against Mesa Red Mountain. The Desert Ridge Jaguars went 0-10 last season and are rebuilding this year; the team is scheduled to play at Gilbert Highland on Friday, October 23. Heading into the final weeks of the season, the program's coaching situation and the status of the twelve suspended players remain open questions. (GSM, based on reporting by The Arizona Republic and USA Today)
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图片来源：Mesa 市政厅资料图。摄影：Ixnayonthetimmay，CC BY 3.0（Wikimedia Commons）
GSM Global · 本篇英文版 English edition of this story
