PARKERSBURG - The national anthem wasn't played prior to a freshmen football game Thursday night at the Erickson All-Sports Facility, and Amanda Weimer didn't stand for it.
It was disrespectful to the country and the servicemen in attendance at the game who had just returned from overseas, Weimer said.
"We're very proud of our soldiers," she said.
Weimer is a Parkersburg native who lives in Washington state with her military husband. They were attending the game to watch a nephew on the South squad.
The freshmen game between Parkersburg South High School and Marietta High School ended with the Tigers beating the South Patriots 47-8.
Weimer said she asked the announcer why the Star Spangled Banner wasn't played prior to the start of the game and he said "We don't have one in this country," she said. She was taken aback by the comment by the announcer, who was wearing a radio station shirt and left in a vehicle with the radio station's name on it.
The radio station was not involved in the game. The announcer had volunteered on his own time to announce the game, a spokesman for the station said.
Leo Pauley said the complaint isn't intended to bad mouth Parkersburg South, but the anthem should have been played.
Parkersburg South Athletic Director Rick Leach said had he been contacted first by those who were offended the anthem wasn't played, they would have been told the CD with the music to be played over a loudspeaker was removed from the press box. The announcer, who is a volunteer, couldn't have played the anthem without the CD, he said.
"Unless I was to open my pipes up," Leach said.
The anthem is played at every game, he said.
"We play the national anthem every chance we get," Leach said. "We do it all the time."
Parkersburg South Principal Tom Eschbacher, who instead attended Thursday night's varsity girls soccer game between Parkersburg High and Parkersburg South, had doubts about the statement alleged to be made by the announcer that nation had no anthem. "I can't imagine anybody making that statement," he said.
Aside from the policy to fly the American flag and to start the day with the Pledge of Allegiance, the county has no policy to play the anthem at junior varsity games, according to Sue Woodward, an assistant school superintendent.
