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Sportsmanship is a touchy subject at times, and the issue can become even more tense when a team or individual is on the cusp of a record. Recently in Indiana, Elkhart Central High School bristled when its opponent, South Bend Washington, continued to throw the ball despite leading by over 50 points late in the fourth quarter. South Bend's Gehrig Dieter was approaching the national record for receiving yards in a game, and was targeted for passes on the last 10 plays. He set the record with a 39-yard catch on the final play of the game and finished with 437 yards.

After the game, Indiana High School Athletic Association Commissioner Bobby Cox spoke with both schools. He told the Indianapolis Star that coaches need to think about how to handle situations like that, especially with conference opponents. "These are schools that play each other every year in all sports," he said. "There's no need to create that bad blood. When the game is decided, use common sense."

Good sportsmanship was on display at a high school game in Wisconsin. Oconto High School and Manitowoc Roncalli High School players were both complimented by game officials for the way they handled themselves in their recent contest.

Gary Hagberg, one of the officials, wrote in a letter to the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association, "The athletes routinely helped each other off the ground after a play. They complimented each other on a nice tackle or a fine run. It is very refreshing to see young people speak to officials in a dignified manner. There is no doubt that this was learned by observing their respective coaches."

For some Arizona high school coaches, a new scheduling system is causing more problems than it's worth. The state recently instituted computer scheduling which, as part of a goal to save schools money, weighs geography more heavily when picking match-ups. However, that has created games where one school may be significantly larger that the other. Phoenix North Pointe Prep, a school with just under 500 students, canceled its season for safety reasons when matched up with several schools three times its size.

"I'm sure the [Arizona Interscholastic Association] has a lot of reasons for what it does," North Pointe Principal Richard Gow told the Tuscon Citizen, "but it's hard to understand why they wouldn't take into account a school like ours that has had unbelievable growth but doesn't have a massive sports program."

In Ohio, parents of Zanesville High School football players were upset when their children were suspended over code of conduct violations. Players brought alcohol to a party where a teen was found dead the next day. The parents filed a lawsuit claiming the players did not have enough time to become accustomed to the new code of conduct instituted days before the party.

The suspended players were able to suit up for their next game. However, the lawsuit was recently dropped and the player suspensions will go into effect again.

More and more high schools are outfitting their teams in state-of-the-art apparel. "We spent a little bit more for the Nike jerseys this year because we knew the kids would really enjoy that," Metro Christian coach Jared McCoy told the Tulsa World. "That's what the kids really like."

And beyond making them look stylish, players think spiffy uniforms can affect their play on the field. "Look good; play good," said Gary Wilson, a Sand Springs senior defensive lineman told the World. "If you start with confidence, you're going to end with confidence."

Patrick Bohn is an Assistant Editor at Athletic Management.