Marquise Jenkins tweets before the game that "it's time to kill Geneva" and follows with a tweet on game night that he broke Geneva quarterback Dan Santacaterina's collarbone.
Officials from both Batavia and Geneva high schools say a tweet sent by a Batavia player after Friday's football game won't affect a 100-year friendly rivalry among the two schools.
A Twitter post by a Batavia defensive lineman Marquise Jenkins with a hashtag "vikingkiller" announces that he broke Geneva sophomore quarterback Dan Santacaterina's collarbone.
The tweet on Marquise Jenkins @JenkinsMarquise says: "Broke his collar bone out for the season #vikingkiller."
The immediate @JenkinsMarquise tweet prior to that one, posted at 10:18 a.m. Friday, offers some fairly typical high school trash talk: "YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS!!! IT'S GAME DAY!!! TIME TO KILL GENEVA!!!!"
The hit came in the second half of Friday's Batavia-Geneva game, which the Bulldogs won 35-21.
The tweet is another interesting case for high school sports and social media. A CNN report a year ago blames online trash talking for turning a football rivalry violent.
Batavia Athletic Director David Andrews, responding to an email, said at 3:50 p.m. that he had not read the tweets and so couldn't comment on them.
"As always, we instruct all of our student athletes to make good choices," he said. "If not, then we deal with each issue privately."
Geneva Athletic Director Jim Kafer said via phone Monday afternoon that he had no comment on the specific post. "I don’t deal in tweets, so I haven’t seen it," he said.
Kafer described Jenkins as "a good young man" and "a good athlete."
"Dan's injury was unfortunate, but it was a clean hit," he said. "I thought this game, as with most of the ones in the last several years, was very clean, very hard fought, and played with mutual respect on both sides. I don’t see this as anything that changes any of that."
Kafer said that, to his knowledge, there are no Illinois High School Association regulations governing a player's use of social media.
"The tweets are a thing that have opened up a lot of opportunities for things to be said that maybe you don’t say in another setting," he said. "We always talk with our kids, regardless what media vehicle they use, that they always remember who they’re representing and the fact that the audience may be very broad, and the message they send may not be the one they intended."
"Certainly in today’s environment, with the focus on the sensational, the opportunity is there for a lot of things to get out there," Kafer said. "It’s a challenge for young people—and for adults, for that matter."
http://www.dailynews.com/breakingnews/ci_20530895/nfl-suspends-4-players-head-hunting
btown95
6:25 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I think we need to remember that these high school football players are 16 and 17 years old...even Michigan State players have been tweeting similar things this year. Stuff like this almost always comes around to those who start it. If I was a coach, I would most definitely make twitter off limits to every player.
Proud Viking
6:34 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
As a former and proud viking, I would normally be outraged. However I do have to speak up in this case. The trash talking was not being done only by Batavia. A senior on Geneva's team released a tweet saying "Sure glad I can use both of my eyes.", mocking Batavia's Jenkins. That's taking a fun rivalry and turning it into being personal and hurtful. Not too long before that, another Viking player tweeted that one of Geneva's coaches called Wheaton North "Wheaton Warrenville South's retarded step-son". With that being said, I believe Geneva has deserved the whoopings they've been getting. They need to show some better sportsmanship. They won't earn any respect from me or anybody else in this town as long as they are being so immature and unsportsmanlike.
Michael Santacaterina
8:45 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I promised myself I would never comment on situations like this, but as the father of the QB, I feel it necessary. I have been around football a long time, and I can say without question the hit was not only legal, but it was clean. The Batavia player may have tweeted comments that would have upset me as a parent, but what few people know is that the same player tweeted Daniel that he was sorry he got hurt. I have had kids which were on the winning side of this rivalry, and I now have a son on the losing side. What I do know is all our kids are better for having had the chance to be part of this incredible rivalry. BTW...Daniel will be back!
Derek
7:45 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Thanks Michael. There is always another side to the story and I am glad you made it available for everyone to hear. Your positive comments are a refreshing change to see on these types of blogs. I wish a speedy recovery for Daniel and that the team as a whole will step up and become better players and not better tweeters.
Proud Viking
8:56 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I think Marquise is a very talented and respectable player. This article really portrays him as the bad guy when in reality he did feel guilty about the injury so much so that he reached out and apologized to Daniel. I just think it's important that people see both sides of this. And I'm wishing Daniel a speedy recovery!!
Jib
9:17 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
We're like Friday Night Lights - except without the talent.
B. Guenther
9:21 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I agree with Mike. It's a brutal game and unfortunately things like this happen. I can't believe that the patch feels the need to even report something like this. This is one of the best rivalries in the state and it will continue to be. Bottom line is the best team won. Social media is a big part of teenage life and kids will learn at some point what is appropriate and what is not. Their has to be more pressing issues to report than what is on the twitter wire.
Marquise jenkins
10:31 pm on Monday, September 10, 2012
I apologize to the santacanteria family and geneva community about the tweet and all it's bad influence. I was frustrated with the tweets of the players and lost my cool. That was unacceptable and I apologize for tht.
Avett Green
6:38 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Michael Santacaterina, you're a class act.
Marquise, I'm proud of you for stepping up with that apology. I wish you good luck with your football season.
R G
6:41 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Way to man up Marquise. I agree, clean hit, sorry Geneva QB got hurt. Great game
Steve S
6:51 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
B. Guenther- I agree Rick Nagel is not what I would call a “reporter” This is one of the biggest rivalries in the state. You are always going to get “trash Talking” from both sides’ It’s been going on for a long time. I played for Geneva in 1976 as a sophomore. One of our players during a play against Batavia broke the Batavia’s player’s leg putting him out for the season. I remember Geneva’s coaches back then congratulating my teammate for doing it. No one want’s to see anyone get hurt on either side. I hope Santa comes back strong!! Rick why did you bring something like this to the press? I noticed you didn’t report on the game at all. I think we need a different Geneva Patch Editor!!
Michael Santacaterina
7:11 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Your a good kid Marquise, the Bulldogs are fortunate to have you.
stacy
7:45 am on Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Open communication like this is a wonderful thing. It also clears up the confusing "creativeness" of journalist. Being a parent of athletes, as well as past longtime Bulldog parent & now a new Viking parent--the spirit of competition is not only exciting but part of the sport. Happy that Dan will be fine & back, &pleased to see what a fine young man Marquise is. Looking forward to the next matchup.
Gary S
7:30 am on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Marquise, At the age of 17 you have four times the class and respect than the so called editor of this rag "Geneva Patch" Santa, we are all hoping for a speedy recovery. Your one hellava QB!
Marquise Jenkins
7:31 pm on Thursday, September 13, 2012
Just wanna say thanks for all the support. And I'm still very sorry about the incident and the injury. Santa great to know u had a successful surgery. Hope to see u on the feild when I come watch a game.