DHSHS football team clipped by thieves

Just four weeks away from the start of the high school football season, the Desert Hot Springs should be focused on practice. Instead, they are working with police to figure out who stole nearly $4,000 in equipment from them. “It’s just frustrating, because our guys are always working hard,” said Steven Steed, the senior quarterback and captain of the Golden Eagles.

When players arrived to practice this week, they realized that someone stole a brand new lineman trap chute. Its designed to help players work on technique while blocking. The team had purchased the largest version, 32-feet long, 800 pounds, and nearly $4,000. “This is unfortunate,” said first-year head coach Eric Perry. “We hope the police come to a speedy resolution and can figure out what happened, but we’ve got to put our boots on and get back to work.”

Whoever is responsible cut the lock on an exterior gate and took the chute from the practice field. Unfortunately, this is not something new for the team. Last season, somebody broke into the coach’s office through the window and took $1,500 of fundraising money and some electronics.

“When things like that happen, it brings our community down,” said Steed. “It brings us all down but we find a way to get through it.”

The repeat thefts are not only taking a toll on players and coaches but also on the parents of the student-athletes who are trying to better themselves and make their community proud. “Anything that throws them off the path that they’re on is terrible,” said Doug Steed. “They shouldn’t have to worry about that.”

A police report to the Desert Hot Springs police department has been filed.