'When Charlotte Catholic's boys' soccer team got to Forestview High School in Gastonia on Saturday night for an N.C. 3A playoff game, the Cougars heard something over the public address system they never would've expected:

A 90-second portion of a speech from Adolf Hitler.

"We were warming up," said Catholic coach Gary Hoilett, "and all of us stopped and looked up at the booth. We were just real shocked. It was obviously a Hitler speech. The voice was coming across clearly. Everybody knew."

Forestview's players took the field after the speech ended.

But before the game, Hoilett said, some Forestview players were chanting something in German that means "On to victory," according to one of his players who speaks German. Hoilett, who is black, said that during the game some Forestview players directed racial epithets at his two black players.

"It was one of the worst things I've seen," Hoilett said of the speech and the racial epithets.

Monday, Forestview Principal Robert Carpenter met with Gaston County Schools Superintendent Reeves McGlohon, Gaston County athletics director Butch Adams and Forestview soccer coach David Shearer. After that 40-minute meeting, Carpenter faxed a letter of apology to Charlotte Catholic officials.

In the letter, Carpenter confirmed that a CD containing a Hitler speech was played over the PA system. He called it inappropriate. He said he was at the game but did not hear the clip. Carpenter said that it was the first time it had been played and that Shearer was not aware of it.

"Sometime back, coach Shearer and the team started using `On to victory' as a slogan," Carpenter wrote. "We have a German exchange student on our team. He taught our students to say it in German. Some of our more zealous students sought to capture this slogan in German and to play it on the PA. They copied it from a speech by Hitler but could not just copy the `On to victory' and got too much of the speech."

Carpenter's letter did not address the alleged racial epithets, and he did not return calls left by the Observer. Efforts to reach Shearer were not successful. Forestview athletics director Alan Stewart also attended the game but said he didn't hear the speech or any racial remarks.

"It's totally shocking to me," Stewart said.

He said the school had started an investigation but did not expect to take any disciplinary action.

N.C. High School Athletic Association spokesperson Rick Strunk said his office was investigating the incident.

"It's one thing if someone uses the N-word on the field," he said. "It's terrible, but it's a private matter. To use the PA (to play a Hitler speech) is another thing entirely. It's really hard to fathom in this day and time."

Strunk said such action falls under the NCHSAA's rules of conduct inconsistent with a wholesome athletic program. There's not a specific fine for such behavior, but Strunk said a school could be placed on probation, fined or have home games taken away by the NCHSAA board.

Forestview beat Charlotte Catholic 1-0 Saturday and will play Skyland Roberson in the third round Wednesday at Forestview.

Catholic's Hoilett doesn't think enough has been done since Saturday's incidents.

"The letter was lame," Hoilett said. "I get the feeling like, `OK, we messed up and we'll talk about it,' and that's it. You don't toss something like that to the corner. I can't tell them what kind of punitive measures to take, but it doesn't look like there'll be any. But hopefully we can all learn from this and some good can come from it."

Paige Laurie, whose son Blake Laurie plays midfield for Charlotte Catholic, heard the pregame speech from the parking lot, where some of the team parents were tailgating.

"We basically heard Hitler over the intercom and couldn't believe it," she said. "You know when you hear something and aren't sure what you heard? It's like, `Is that what I really heard?' Our boys (on the team) knew something was extremely wrong."

Like Catholic's coach, Laurie doesn't think the letter of apology was enough.

"Absolutely not. Personally, what I'd like to see is them forfeit their game on Wednesday to TC Roberson because they weren't following the (NCHSAA) code of conduct. And at the beginning of each game, you have to read the high school code of conduct. That was not read over the PA system. If it were me and I was principal, that would be the end of the soccer season."





Text of Forestview Principal Robert Carpenter's apology:

On behalf of the Forestview soccer team, Coach Shearer, Forestview High

School, and myself I want to apologize for the playing of the cd during

Saturday night's soccer game. It was inappropriate and should not have

been played.

Sometime back Coach Shearer and the team started using "On to victory"

as a slogan. We have a German exchange student on our team. He taught

our students to say it in German. Some of our more zealous students

sought to capture this slogan in German and to play it on the PA. They

copied it from a speech by Hitler but could not just copy the "on to

victory" and got too much of the speech. Student intent was to only

play the "on to victory" clip. Unfortunately at one time a good bit of

the speech was played on the PA during the pre-game.

Coach Shearer was not aware that they had made this clip and that they

intended to play it. I was at the ballgame Saturday night but did not

hear it. I also was not aware of the clip. This is the first time the

clip was ever used. It certainly is an error in judgement on the part

of some of our students. They indicated to me that they had no malice

and no intent to hurt others. They were using the slogan to motivate

themselves.

We have conducted a full investigation and will continue to do so. We

are not taking this lightly and already have in place some precautions

for our next game.

I apologize for the cd playing. It should never have been played. I

will meet with the team to make sure they understand the seriousness of

this action. I will further work with our team and fans to emphasize

proper game behavior.

I appreciate your bringing this to my attention.

Robert C. Carpenter

Principal

Forestview High School'