The Piedmont High School football team got some good news when it learned that star receiver/defensive back Sam Shelby will not be suspended after being ejected from the team’s win at Arroyo on Sept. 23.
Shelby was wrongly ejected for what the officials said was throwing a punch at an Arroyo player. The Highlanders coaching staff was able to show that Shelby didn’t do anything wrong; Emmett Maxwell was the player involved.*
North Coast Section rules provide that a player ejected from a second game has to sit out three games. Shelby was ejected from the season opener against Pierce-Arbuckle for drawing two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties. After that ejection he had to sit out Piedmont’s 48-6 loss to Miramonte.
“An indicator of Sam’s impact is the Miramonte game,” Highlanders coach Jordan Seiden said. “Sam is one of the most explosive athletes I have ever coached, and I have coached college kids. Losing a kid like that is a season-changer. Having him back is big for the program.”
Sam and his teammates will play Alameda on Oct. 7 at Thompson Field at 7 p.m. Piedmont is 4-2 and 1-0 in West Alameda County Conference Shoreline Division play. The Hornets are 5-0 and 1-0.
However, the Highlanders will be without two players — Brayden Hong and Emmett Maxwell — who suffered ACL injuries in the win over Arroyo.
(Editor’s note: This article was updated on Oct. 13 because an earlier version of the story incorrectly identified a Brayden Hong as being involved in the altercation on Sept. 23.)