A Michigan high school football player has spoken out after one of his teammates fractured an opponent’s spine during a junior varsity game, calling the act a “horrible decision” while also revealing that his school and coaches are now the targets of racially charged threats, as reported [1] by The New York Post.
Rhys Biske, 15, of Kalamazoo Central High School, posted a video Thursday on his mother’s TikTok account, where he directly addressed the incident from the Sept. 19 game against Lakeshore High School.
A lineman broke the spine of another player on the opposing team in two places during a JV game.
No consequences have been made public at this time; the schools are handling it internally.https://t.co/lnKYzipEOm [2] pic.twitter.com/G4s1SkZphy [3]— Lady Gravemaster (@LadyGravemaster) September 21, 2025 [4]
“The decision my teammate made and what he did to the Lakeshore player was not alright,” Biske said. “It was an illegal move and had no place. I’m not going to try to defend that. It was a horrible decision.”
Biske admitted the “move was intentional” but added that his teammate did not mean to cause serious harm.
“He was doing it as a celebration and to be funny,” Biske explained, noting that after the play, the teammate approached him on the sidelines and expressed remorse, but the injured Lakeshore player had already been taken from the field.
Video recorded by spectators shows the Kalamazoo player tackling a smaller 15-year-old Lakeshore student to the ground before climbing off him and leaping back onto his body. The hit left the opponent with two spinal fractures. He was carted off the field and taken to a hospital for treatment.
The injured player’s mother, Courtney Mims, told WSBT that her son will not return to football this season. Doctors are still determining whether he will be able to play again in the future.
Biske also disclosed that the fallout from the incident has extended beyond the game. He said coaches, referees, and school staff did not see the act happen in real time because it occurred away from the main play.
@outheretrynasurvive [5] My son, Rhys asked me if he could post a response video to the MANY disturbing chains of events that have happened since Colton was injured by his teammate. (Not to mention ALL the students can see the harmful comments being made on my viral video of Rhys kneeling to pray for Colton). These students are getting unaliving threats & that’s not okay. It’s really horrific. And it is r@cially charged violence when their school is being harrassed with race based slurs. Rhys is 15. Please use discretion when making hateful comments about children/teenagers. I’m proud of my son & I support his message & stand by him. #thisisamerica [6] #kalamazoocentral [7] #footballpancake [8] #lakeshorehigh [9] #jvfootball [10] ♬ Mysterious and Sad – Beats by Lucky [11]
Since then, however, he said coaches and school officials have received online harassment, including racial threats. “They’re getting a lot of threats and comments on videos or saying a lot of things about jail time for my teammate and firing the coaches,” Biske said.
Biske’s mother, Sandra, confirmed to WWMT that school administrators addressed parents in a meeting on Wednesday night, informing them of “horrible racial slurs” being directed at the school. The Kalamazoo Township Police Department confirmed that it is investigating the threats.
Kalamazoo Central High School released a statement Tuesday saying it had taken “strong and decisive action” against the athletes involved but could not release details due to student privacy laws. The Michigan High School Athletic Association also stated it is treating the incident “very seriously.”
Lakeshore Schools Superintendent Greg Eding wrote in a letter to the community that the player’s conduct was “totally unacceptable and has no place in student athletics.”
Eding added that the superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools has apologized for the incident and confirmed “serious disciplinary consequences” were applied in line with district policy.