'Bullying' football team cleared of accusations

(UPI) -- The coaches of a North Texas high school football team has been cleared of accusations of bullying after the parent of the opposing players filed a complaint over a blowout score.

Aledo Independent School District said it had completed an investigation into a complaint the coaching staff had bullied its opponent, finding "no grounds" to support the bullying allegation, Aledo coach Tim Buchanan said Wednesday.

Aledo High School, which is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A in the state, defeated Fort Worth Western Hills 91-0 Friday, even though Buchanan pulled most of his starters in the second quarter.

"I’m upset about it,” Buchanan said after the game. “I don’t like it. I sit there the whole third and fourth quarter and try to think how I can keep us from scoring.”

But Buchanan wholeheartedly disagrees with one parent's complaint that the lopsided score was tantamount to bullying.

"To go out and tell your kids, 'No, I don't want you to play hard, because we're ahead,' that's against every fundamental coaching strategy that you have," Buchanan said.

Even Western Hills coach John Naylor said he disagreed with the parent's complaint.

"They're No. 1 for a reason, and I know Coach Buchanan," Naylor said. "We're fighting a real uphill battle right now."