The controversy began in the lead-up to the season’s first football game late last month, Hinsdale South vs Wauconda, sparked by escalating banter on social media, Lucy Wang reports in the student newspaper at Hinsdale South High School, which is based in west-subruban Darien, Illinois.
After Wauconda’s Barstool affiliate allegedly initiated the conflict by mocking South players and their families on Instagram, a Hinsdale South senior responded by posting a TikTok titled “Cheerleaders we tryna land this year.” The video rated cheer squads from various upcoming football opponents. The student said he viewed it as harmless humor rather than a targeted jab at Wauconda.
The video quickly went viral, pulling in thousands of views along with considerable backlash. School administrators, including South’s athletic director and head varsity coach, received emails demanding disciplinary action and the removal of the post.
While the student poster initially complied with the coach’s request to take down the TikTok, he reportedly reposted it shortly thereafter, drawing even higher engagement.
Hinsdale South players received formal warnings and conditioning penalties, the student newspaper reported, though the varsity team’s captain tried to defuse tensions with Wauconda’s leadership prior to kickoff.
But despite attempts at pregame sportsmanship, the online hostility carried over directly to the field.
The game was marked by heightened aggression, late hits, illegal tactics, and taunting from the crowd, with South players reporting targeted cheap shots from the Wauconda side. After staying competitive in a contentious first half, Hinsdale South faltered following halftime cramps and ultimately fell to Wauconda by a final score of 21–32.
