South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Wellington coach Abel suspended
Receives 5-game ban as punishment from interaction with officials
The Florida High School Athletic Association suspended Wellington football coach Tom Abel through the end of the season following two incidents with referees during the Wolverines’ game against Forest Hill on Sept. 26.
The FHSAA handed down a Level 2 suspension, as first reported by the Palm Beach Post, because Abel allegedly directed inappropriate language at officials. Abel is suspended for five games and served the first game of his suspension during the Wolverines’ loss to Boca Raton on Oct. 4.
Wellington was also fined $400, according to the FHSAA’s report.
Abel could not be reached for comment on Friday afternoon.
According to the report from East Coast Football Association official Jeffrey Geller, Abel yelled at an official in the first quarter, saying, “All the penalties from him are on us.”
When Geller turned to ignore Abel, the Wellington coach said, “Are you ever going to throw a [expletive] flag on them?” The expletive resulted in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, according to the report.
Late in the fourth quarter, a play ended near the Wellington sideline, and Abel said, “You guys are always throwing [expletive] flags on us,” according to the report. Another unsportsmanlike conduct penalty was called, and Abel was ejected, according to the report.
The report adds that Abel was “consistently obnoxious and berrating (sic) the officials.”
Wellington appealed the suspension, saying Abel denied using the profanity. Wellington also argued that Abel had never been given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty in the past nor had he ever received a suspension, so the suspension should be reduced to a Level 1 suspension.
The school also argued that Abel “should have possibly been ejected” following the first unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
The school also provided video of the play that resulted in the second penalty, but the FHSAA upheld its decision, saying the video “cuts off too soon to show anything substantial” and that the referee confirmed the language used.
Abel denied using inappropriate language but said in the appeal that he yelled to the head referee, “If they score, it’s on you because of the bull crap call,” following a Forest Hill fumble recovery.
Abel said in his appeal that there was no more interaction between him and the referees until the fourth quarter.
Abel said in his appeal that he did not use inappropriate language before he was ejected in the fourth quarter. In his appeal, he said was moving his players away from the referee on his sideline, telling them to “get back, we don’t need a stupid flag.”
It was after that play that Abel was ejected.
Wellington is 2-5 this season and has only three games remaining in the regular season. If the Wolverines do not make the playoffs, Abel could serve the final game of his suspension in Wellington’s spring game, according to FHSAA spokeswoman Ashton Mosely. Abel would still be allowed to coach practices, Mosely said.
Abel is the second local coach to be suspended for the season following confrontations with referees. Miramar coach A.J. Scott received a Level 3 suspension following an ejection, and Scott has denied any wrongdoing.
Abel is in his eighth season as the Wolverines’ football coach and is 45-38 since taking over the program.
Several former Wellington players, including former Miami star Ahmmon Richards and his brother, Auburn running back Mark-Antony Richards, have rallied around Abel to protest the suspension.