Jacob Smith is a young man from Lowell, MA being stripped of the thing he loves by the people higher up. Jacob has been suspended from all MIAA sports for a year seeing as he is a Junior and his primary sport is football which would take away his entire senior year of football. This puts a big obstacle on moving forward in his future and developing as a man. Jacob has played football for all of his life always representing the city of Lowell. He has been an outstanding athlete for the Lowell High Red Raiders despite his attitude on the field with his hiccups here and there where he lets his temper get to him. But doesn’t that just sound like any 16-year-old to you? Football might be one of the most emotional sports in the world so for a 16-year-old still developing and trying to figure out how to control their emotions it’s hard to fight the anger when you have such a passion. During the last regular season game Jacob was ejected after being accused of removing a players helmet and continuing to swing the helmet at the player where he was then removed from the game even after many said he did not do such things. As well as  being accused of getting into a altercation during the end game handshake line. That would be Jacob’s 3rd ejection from a game during the season some may it’s fair but if anyone really watches the game many players react in similar manners but aren’t given the same consequences. The officials of every game have had it out for Jacob and following the end of the 2022 football season, the MIAA has decided to suspend him but is it fair? People who have never met Jacob Smith people who have never really sat down and got to know who he is off of the field. This committee is stripping a child of his future, he does have the option to play for a team outside of the MIAA but how could you ask a kid who’s played all his life in Lowell and bled with his brothers on the gridiron-wearing Lowell across his jersey. To just up and leave abandoning his brothers, friends, and family just so he could pursue a future in football as every kid wants. This is not to talk down on the MIAA I’m sure they had all talked and agreed on their decision but this is to help Jacob Smith and the Lowell High football team keep a brother. This petition is to help bring the situation to light in hopes of just at least letting Jacob finish off his high school football career with his brothers in Lowell. Whether that means suspending him from all MIAA sports just for the 2022-2023 season, please take the time to sign this.