West Sioux is willing to accept the apology from a pair of high school soccer announcers in the state of Iowa. The Falcons are choosing to move on from an inappropriate comment made on air during the playoffs.
Bygones are bygones.
Unfortunately, the high school soccer team also did not win the game. It was a bummer end to the season.
Iowa high school soccer announcers made a joke about incest.
West Sioux High School is located in Hawarden, Iowa. It enrolls approximately 250 students in Grades 9-12. The Falcons are members of the War Eagle Conference on the Class 1A level of competition in the Hawkeye State. Class 1A is the smallest class.
The West Sioux boys soccer team won the state championship in 2025. The Falcons returned to the semifinals in 2026.
David Fine and Ben Brackett announced the game. Fine has been a play-by-play broadcaster for more than a decade in eastern Iowa. Brackett played and coached nearly 40 years of soccer in and around central Iowa. They were on the call for for the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
Brackett noticed a large number of players who share the same last name while looking at the West Sioux roster. He cracked a joke about incest.
“It’s a small community up there. You get brother or sister that marries a cousin and the next thing you know, imagine that must be a heck of a Sunday dinner,” Brackett said.
Fine did not respond with words but he laughed. Maybe it was more of a chuckle.
As you could imagine, the comment did not go over well with the city of Hawarden or the Falcons community. Their complaints were escalated to the IHSAA.
West Sioux accepts the apology.
Iowa High School Athletic Association executive director Tom Keating said that Brackett’s comments “highly inappropriate and unprofessional.” The organization addressed the situation as soon as it was made aware of what was said.
“Like you, I am disappointed about the comment and that it was made during our broadcast. Our goal is to provide a positive experience for all and this situation did not meet that expectation. It was an unacceptable error, and we have addressed it with the broadcasters and producers involved.”
West Sioux released a statement to disavow the insinuation of incest.
“The West Sioux Schools and Athletic Department would like to address the inappropriate comments that were made during the recent State Semifinal soccer broadcast involving our team. The comments were unacceptable and do not reflect the values of respect and sportsmanship in educational-based activities that we strive to promote for all student-athletes.”
However, the Falcons are willing to move on. All of the involved parties issued an apology.
“Since the incident occurred, the IHSAA and the announcer have communicated directly with our coaches and administration and have provided both formal and in person apologies. They expressed their sincere appreciation they have for our team and our community and regret that their actions have impacted the relationship. We appreciate their willingness to take responsibility, acknowledge the impact of the situation, and address it in a timely and sincere manner.”
They accept.
After discussions with our coaches, and in the interest of our program and student athletes, we believe it is appropriate to forgive and move forward in a positive manner. While situations like this are disappointing, we also believe in accountability, growth, and the opportunity to learn from mistakes.
West Sioux lost the semifinal game. Its season ended with a disappointing loss and an unexpected controversy.