As Olentangy Schools officials continue to investigate an alleged hazing incidentinvolving the Orange girls soccer program, the players returned to the field Oct. 3.
Short-handed Orange put up a fight for most of the game before Watterson pulled away in the second half for a 5-0 win. Orange trailed 1-0 at halftime, but with the Pioneers having only three reserves available, Watterson appeared to wear down a depleted Orange roster.
With school district administrators looking on from behind the bench, Orange played its first game since six seniors were kicked off the team Oct. 2 after the alleged hazing incident involving 12 victims.
Following the game, parents and schoolmates greeted the players to commend them on their effort.
One Orange parent
declined to comment or provide her name, stating she just wants the situation to come to an end.
Watterson coach Scott Dempsey was impressed with the Pioneers’ effort considering the circumstances.
“It was such an unknown since the news broke so late that the coaches weren’t going to be here,” Dempsey said. “Later, we found out that the senior players were not going to be here. We said to just think about it as a wounded animal, and a wounded animal is always going to fight harder. They came out and were well organized. They fought hard. They played together. Fortunately, the second half we had a little more left in our tank than they did.”
Watterson won the Division II state title in 2024 and was a state semifinalist last season.
Orange coach Allie Sanders and her staff have been placed on administrative leavefor the remainder of the regular season, which ends Oct. 6 against Olentangy Liberty, according to Christian Ross, the communications director for the district.
Ross added that school officials will revisit the coaching staff’s suspension prior to the Division I district tournament, which begins Oct. 20.
The team was coached Oct. 3 by Orange boys coach Tony Diaz and his assistant, Asher Rose.
“There was a conversation with the athletic director [Andre Nash Jr.] and the school administration, and we appreciated that our boys coaches stepped in to support,” said Ross, who attended the game. “We appreciate our school community and that willingness to step up when asked.”
Ross said both coaches would not be allowed to comment following the game.
Superintendent Todd Meyer said the school district became aware of the alleged hazing on Sept. 16, when a district teacher alerted officials to a rumor involving the Orange girls soccer team over the summer. No parent, student or anyone else had previously reported the allegation, Meyer said.
Videos of the alleged hazing incident that happened Aug. 11 and reviewed by The Dispatch show that several of the seniors made the players take their pants off and wear adult-sized diapers, zip-tied their wrists and wrapped their arms to their chests with plastic wrap. The girls also wore diapers on their heads and goggles covered in duct tape over their eyes.
The victims were force-fed raw hot dogs and sardines, piled into cars, driven around town and sprayed with Silly String, shaving cream and glitter. Seniors asked their younger teammates sexually explicit questions.
The alleged hazing occurred the day after Orange defeated Beavercreek 1-0 in its opening game of the season as the Pioneers got off to a 4-0 start. Orange has struggled recently and has lost five of its past six games and stand at 5-7-3 overall and 0-3-1 in the OCC-Central.
The school district reported the hazing incident to the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, which conducted a criminal investigation. An incident report states that a criminal offense did occur but that no charges are being filed. A sheriff's spokesperson said the office will not pursue criminal charges “due to insufficient criminal evidence, but also, in part, the level of cooperation we received from the involved parties.”
High school sports reporter Frank DiRenna can be reached at fdirenna@dispatch.com and at @DispatchFrank on X.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Olentangy Orange girls soccer team returns to field amid controversy
