Fair Or Foul? Player of Year Candidate Sits Due To Scratching Coach Off Poster

 Fair Or Foul? 

Player of Year Candidate Jerry Easter II Sits Due To Scratching Coach Off Poster 

By Deon Cash

 For Jerry Easter II, the top scorer in Ohio HS hoops and sophomore guard on one of the top teams in the State, things were going great until recently, when his head coach was suspended for some choice words he had said to Easter in a conversation. 

Lionel Armstead was the head coach, and one of the great players in Emmanuel Christian history. 

During a recent game the head coach would have a disagreement with Easter, say a few choice words, including some disrespectful cursewords, and would tell Easter "You're not coachable" which forced the front office and OHSAA to suspend Armstead.  

While Easter never made any comments or statements, it was clear that Easter was hurt by the statements that his coach said.

Armstead would be suspended by the Emmanuel Christian front office and is now being investigated by OHSAA due to some reports that he was missing the neccessary paperwork to be a head coach. 

While the head coach was out, Emmanuel Christian was undefeated. 

But, for some reason, the principal who was a former coach (Dave Regnier) decided to take over as the interim head coach, uprooting the assistant coach who was undefeated and doing a good job.

Now rewind to earlier this week.

Easter had made a poster in the classroom at the beginning of the season, and he and some friends and staff was eating in the classroom at the time.

Easter had compiled a family and friends tree on a poster that had different branches for different family and friends.

 While they were in his classroom eating, Easter would decide he wanted to scratch off the head coach from his tree, which sparked an internal investigation, and ultimately, his suspension for a game,

When his parents was asked about the situation, Easters' dad spoke. 

"It's his paper, and he can write or erase and put on and take off whatever he wants. It wasn't meant to be disrespectful.  He was hurt by what the coach said to him, and he responded. It was on his own paper, and all he did was cross off someones name. That deserves a suspension?"

While OHSAA did not suspend Easter, it was Emmanuel Christian who did, and deemed his actions "detrimental to the team." 

In a crucial game and with Emmanual Christian sitting atop the State rankings, makes you wonder. 

Easter is a elite talent, and not every organization has the ability to understand the full dynamic of what a player of Easter's talent brings.

 While it won't be perfect with having Easter on the team, the bottom line is this: 

He is one of the very best players in OHSAA basketball, no matter the class.

He is the only player in OHSAA to have a quadruple double. He is also the only player in OHSAA to have multiple 40-point games this season.

He lit up Lutheran East, a state finalist and a favorite for another trip this year, for 33. 

He scored 49 and 28 in the Holiday classic with a MVP.

So while there are rumblings throughout the Emmanuel Christian offices about Jerry Easter and his impact, there is no question that Easter is a championship type of player.

Emmanuel Christian will be headed to California to play in a prestigious showcase, and why is that?

Jerry Easter II.

No matter how this situation plays out, Emmanuel Christian will not be in the spotlight more than they are now.

So, Easter will be out tonight, but will play in California on Martin Luther King day.

But it begs to be asked.

Did Easter deserve to be suspended due to crossing out a name on a poster? 

Follow Easter,  S.E.Live365 on the Journey.

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