On November 5, 2021, the day before the AHSAA Cross Country State Championships, the Athens High School Cross Country team made the trip to the Oakville Indian Mounds to survey the course. After they had walked the course, a member of the team began flying a drone in order to get images of the park. The drone inevitably drew interest from the rest of the team, and amidst the excitement, someone on the team had the idea to spell the word "penis" by arranging the teammates on the ground. 

The image soon reached social media, which soon reached the coaches. It was then brought to the school administration's attention, where an emergency meeting was called. The school administrators decided that the boys team would not be allowed to run on the following day, something that the team had prepared for for over 6 months.

Athens High School is home to the 15th fastest runner in the Alabama 6A division, who is now not allowed to compete in what would have been his final trip to the state championships. He is the interest of several D1 colleges, and preventing him from being able to run in the highest profile race of the year is severely detrimental to his college aspirations. 

The other members of the team are also unfairly affected by this, as there are several other seniors who will not be allowed to participate in this race on their final year of running cross country in high school. 

This team has worked hard this season, and have earned their spot in the State Championships. The school administration is allowing one childish action to leave a major blemish on these talented runners' high school experiences. Especially for a high school class that has experienced a cross country season cancelled due to COVID-19, this is an unnecessary punishment that disregards the fact that high schoolers will inevitably make childish decisions. While punishment is understandable, the current consequences far outweigh the circumstances of the incident. The AHS Cross Country team should be allowed to participate in a race that they earned their right to be in, while also giving them the chance to learn from their actions.