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PHILOMATH, Ore. -- The scoreboard at the edge of Philomath High Schools football field is dark. The stands are empty. This year, there are no varsity games that brought together many of the towns 4,500 people.Hazing inflicted by upperclassmen on 11 freshman players at a conditioning camp has led to the seasons cancellation, investigations by authorities and the school district, and calls for healing and for the tradition to stop.Studies show more than half of college students in sports teams, clubs and organizations have experienced hazing. Many were hazed in high school. Just last week in California, three varsity high school football players were charged in a separate incident.Breaking the cycle is difficult, but Philomath is tackling the issue head on.The school district is paying attention to both what happened and what could prevent this from happening again, Superintendent Melissa Goff told The Associated Press. Were paying very close attention to the mental health needs of our students and how we, as a community, can pull together.Philomath is a small, sleepy town. Traffic barrels past shuttered businesses on Main Street, a highway heading into the Coastal Range to the west. Corvallis, home to Oregon State University, lies 3 miles (4.8 kilometers) to the east.The town formed around Philomath College, which existed from 1865 to 1929. Its name is Greek for lover of learning.Philomath has little in the way of entertainment, and several people said the loss of the football season will be a blow.Its a little bitty town, and theres not much else to do, so there was usually a pretty big turnout there, said Rhonda Lewis, a waitress at the C D & J Cafe, on Main Street. I dont know whats going to happen now.Pastors representing seven churches have made themselves available to listen, pray for and offer counseling to local students, parents and school district personnel, said Jim Hall, senior pastor of Living Faith Community Church. Theyve had conversations with a broad spectrum of townspeople, Hall said.The school district contracted an independent investigator, Goff said. That probe is ongoing. The Oregon State Police also investigated, because the incident happened at a state-owned camp.Benton County District Attorney John Haroldson said 11 freshman players had intimate parts of their bodies targeted during an initiation.In court Thursday, one of six upperclassmen charged with misdemeanors pleaded guilty to harassment. As part of his sentence, he will speak out against hazing and stand up for the victims.Haroldson, who advocated for the term, said victims are being blamed for the football seasons cancellation and some students expulsions, and instead should be recognized for their courage.The hazing existed for years, instilled as part of the institution, and had gotten worse, Haroldson said.The coaches didnt stop it, he told Circuit Court Judge Locke A. Williams. They chose not to stop it or couldnt stop it.The judge noted hazing isnt isolated to Philomath and said there must be an understanding that this is a practice that cannot continue.A 22-year-old volunteer assistant coach stands charged in the county where the hazing occurred. All the coaches are on leave, Goff said.The decision was made to cancel the varsity season after other athletes and coaches evaluated the readiness of eligible players. The junior varsity season remains on track.Brittany Dryden, manager of Wilsons NAPA Auto Parts store, feels the cancellation is a little harsh.I understand people make mistakes ... but I dont see why we have to punish the whole football team, and punish other people that werent involved, had nothing to do with it, Dryden said. Its just not fair to those kids.Goff has a rebuttal: High school football in Philomath is important, but it is not as important as our kids.Hazing might be part of human nature, and it definitely goes back to ancient Greece and Rome, said Susan Lipkins, a psychologist and an expert on hazing.Victims take the experience to college and the military, primed to be hazed again and again, Lipkins said in a telephone interview from Port Washington, New York.Over time, they often become perpetrators, feeling they have the right to do unto others what was done to them, Lipkins said.Ending the cycle requires breaking the silence.Philomath seems to be handling its case right so far, Lipkins said. To prevent hazing, schools must encourage victims to come forward, using clearly established methods like the internet and even reporting abuse anonymously so they arent labeled wimps.But few high schools and colleges follow through on promises to eliminate hazing, Lipkins noted.They react, she said. 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Defending champions Perth Wildcats have survived yet another late scare, posting a fourth-straight NBL win with a nailbiting 72-69 triumph over Melbourne United.The Wildcats (4-1) led by 12 points halfway through the final quarter of Sundays clash in Melbourne but United (3-2) quickly clawed back the deficit before their home fans at Hisense Arena.With less than a minute on the clock, Melbourne double-teamed Wildcats star Casey Prather and his pass was intercepted by Nate Tomlinson, who had a clear path to the basket.Another turnover and another Tomlinson layup cut the margin back to three points and United managed to secure a defensive stop.But with the seconds counting down, Cedric Jackson shot an airball to deny United a chance at overtime.It was a familiar tale for the Wildcats, who have almost thrown away each of their wins this season with poor showings in the final quarter.Prather was quiet by his standards but stepped up when it mattered for the Wildcats, making aggressive plays at the death to finish with 16 points.Captain Damian Martin put on a defensive masterclass, the 186cm point guard pulling down 13 rebounds to go with his five assists, while Matthew Knight chipped in 14 points and nine boards.Melbourne led at the first two breaks as power forward Majok Majok (12 points, five rebounds) imposed himself on the glass.With star shooting guaard Chris Goulding missing with an ankle injury, United were able to spread the scoring load but Majok was their only scorer to reach double figures.ddddddddddddUnited were again let down by poor three-point shooting, draining just 20 per cent of their shots from beyond the arc compared to Perths 38 percent.Wildcats coach Trevor Gleeson lauded the work of captain Martin, who played for 34 minutes after Jarrod Kenny was sidelined early with a groin injury.I thought Damo was outstanding there, Gleeson said.We had Jarrod Kenny go down in the first five minutes so we didnt have a backup point guard. 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