By admin 
TONOPAH, AZ (AZFamily) — An Arizona school district has canceled the entire football season at a high school west of the Valley amid a developing criminal investigation.
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On Friday, Saddle Mountain Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Winters announced that Tonopah Valley High School will not play any football games, varsity or junior varsity, for the remainder of the season after initially canceling only this week’s games.
“I know how disappointing this news will be, particularly for the students who have continued to show up, work hard, and express their desire to play,” Winters said in a video message posted on YouTube. “This is not the outcome any of us wanted, and it was not a decision we reached quickly or easily.”
Winters said the decision was made after careful consideration, and the reason was straightforward: the school doesn’t have enough eligible players. That eligibility is in question due to a recently launched investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct involving students, reportedly occurring in July during a football camp in Williams.
The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office says detectives with its Special Victims Unit are working with the Williams Police Department, calling the circumstances surrounding the allegations “complex.” MCSO previously said the investigators were looking into reports of “dry humping” at the camp, but on Friday said other details could not be released without potentially compromising the investigation and privacy of those involved.
“MCSO and the Williams Police Department take allegations of sexual misconduct seriously and remain committed to conducting a fair, thorough, and impartial investigation,” the sheriff’s office said in an emailed statement.
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Several high school faculty members are also on administrative leave as part of the district’s investigation.
“Because it (the case) is active, we are not able to speak about it, and we will not be talking about this issue further until the investigation is complete,” Winters said.
Winters added that the district is exploring other opportunities for the affected student-athletes, including workout programs. The district is also working to find performance opportunities for cheerleaders and band members.
Watch the superintendent’s full message here.
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