The controversy at Selma High School just keeps on brewing. With recent meetings by parents, and a letter to the editor by Bruce Holmes it just seems to be adding fuel to an already burning fire. The question is will the fire grow out of control, or will it be contained?

In the &uot;letter to the editor&uot; from Holmes, Harper was accused of not attending practices on a regular basis. &uot;The only time that I have missed practices is because of health reasons,&uot; said Harper. &uot;I don’t miss practice unless I can help it, and I try to schedule my appointments on Mondays, because all we do is stretch, and watch game film.&uot;

The competitive nature of football these days (especially at the 6A level) is enough to put pressure on any coach.

In 6A football most programs are very well staffed, and have excellent facilities. That is something that has been lacking at Selma High for sometime. &uot;Every team we have played this year has had 15 or more coaches on their staff,&uot; said Davis.

&uot;They had coaches at all of the skill positions. Our coaches have to handle three or four different task in practice and games.&uot;

According to Davis the Saints are understaffed, and underpaid. &uot; We are underpaid and understaffed, and until we can catch up with the other 6A programs the result will be the same,&uot; said Davis.

Some of the parents of students that attend Selma High, and are athletes on the football team have been meeting to see what can be done about Harper. Most of the football players have opinions also.

Some of the players still have a lot of confidence in coach Harper. &uot;I think that coach Harper is a good coach, but the coaches need to rearrange how they do some things, said Dauntae King a junior wide receiver and punter. &uot;I do agree with the idea that coach Harper needs to come to practice more, but their are only two games left this year, and everyone should deal with the practice issue after the season is over.&uot;

Some of the players are not as happy as others. &uot;To me it doesn’t matter much this season,&uot; said Billy Lee outside linebacker for the Saints. &uot;The coaching staff is poor, and I feel that I have been robbed of a position this year. Coach Harper gave up on me, but I am at a point that I really don’t care anymore my season is shot. Overall coach Harper is a good coach, but sometimes he stoops down to our level and that makes everything get out of hand.&uot;