Moody defeated Vigor during the high school football state championship game in Alabama on Friday. Some of its players celebrated the victory by smoking cigars in the locker room.
The viral image created a heated discussion on social media.
A high school football coach for a different team in the Yellowhammer State even addressed the controversy after his team won the title just a few hours later. Should this be allowed?
Moody High School won the Class 5A state championship.
Moody High School is located in the Birmingham suburb of Moody, Alabama. It enrolls approximately 700 students in Grades 9-12. The football program competes on the Class 5A level of competition.
Although the Blue Devils did not complete a pass during the first half of a rainy game at Protective Stadium on Friday, they relied on their run game and their defense (and a unique fair catch free kick field goal) to get the job done. Moody defeated Vigor by a final score of 25-0.
It was the program’s first-ever state championship!
Players within the program had never experienced this feeling before. They had never reached the mountaintop so they celebrated accordingly.
Should high school football players smoke victory cigars?
At least two athletes on the Moody High School football roster smoked a cigar in the locker room after they won the state championship. That was technically illegal.
The minimum age to buy, possess or use cigars (and all other tobacco/nicotine products) is 21 years old. This is due to a federal law implemented in late 2019.
A photo of the Blue Devils’ victory cigar celebration went viral on social media. It was posted to criticize the program for allowing “delinquency” and lung cancer.
The official account for Moody High School football called for the image to be deleted.
Clay-Chalkville High School won the Class 6A state championship in Alabama just a few hours after the 5A championship came to an end. The Cougars did not celebrate with cigars.
I smoked my fair share of cigars and cigarettes in high school so I am not one to talk. Some people will disagree with the victory cigar celebration, as you can see from the initial post. Others won’t care.