Mount Carmel High School cancels football season while investigating hazing allegations

Mount Carmel High School, which holds the Pennsylvania record for most football wins, has canceled its season due to hazing allegations.

Mount Carmel High School, whose football team is the winningest in Pennsylvania history, announced Tuesday that it will cancel the remainder of the football season while investigating allegations of hazing.

Schools officials said that the district and Mount Carmel Township Police are investigating alleged incidents of hazing involving members of the football team on and off the field. The school had canceled its past two games, citing player-safety concerns for the first cancellation and then the investigation.

"This is obviously a heartbreaking decision," the school said in a press release. "Moving forward, we will continue to provide resources and counseling to all those that have been impacted."

The school said it could not comment on the investigation. Mount Carmel will offer counseling to students who "may need to speak confidentially regarding hazing or any difficult life experience," the release said.

UPDATE ON @GOBIGRED19 FOOTBALL. Season cancelled. pic.twitter.com/iDxjzSUAsK

— Pennsylvania Football News (@PaFootballNews) October 13, 2020

Mount Carmel is a small school in central Pennsylvania with an enrollment of about 370 students, according to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association. The school competes in PIAA District 4.

According to the website easternpafootball.com, Mount Carmel began the 2020 season as Pennsylvania's winningest program, with 866 victories since 1893. Mount Carmel won five PIAA Class 2A titles from 1994-2002.

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