Police are investigating alcohol and illegal drug abuse by Astoria High School football players that has prompted the forfeit of three games and erased any possibility of winning the Cowapa League title.

Astoria Police Chief Pete Curzon said his officers will also focus on who provided the students with alcohol and drugs.

School district leaders said up to 28 players may have been involved, drinking alcohol or smoking marijuana. All will face disciplinary action, including community service work on the next three game days.

Superintendent Craig Hoppes said that some of the students sanctioned might not have partaken but were punished for not immediately notifying the coaches or other adults, as per the high schools athletic rules.

The abuse happened at a team camp-out chaperoned by Head Coach Howard Rub and assistant Faaleo Poyer at John Warren Field Aug. 27 and has led school district leaders to forfeit three games including Fridays visit by Newport.

Hoppes said additional consequences may result from the drug and alcohol investigation begun by the Astoria School District. He notified Astoria police, whose officers began their own investigation.

Our first priority is the safety and well-being of our students, Hoppes said, adding that he and the high schools administration investigated the issue for the district. We have taken appropriate steps to investigate this matter fully, and depending on what our investigation tells us we will act to minimize the possibility that such a thing will ever happen again.

One of the coaches at the event went to sleep at 2 a.m., said Hoppes, the other falling asleep by 3 a.m. He added that the violations occurred afterward.

Any time we deal with school personnel, its a personnel issue we dont divulge to the public, said Hoppes about any possible sanctions against coaches.

It is not know what sanctions, if any, will be imposed. Hoppes has asked that all media questions be referred to him. Rub, who is also the districts athletic director, would not comment when contacted by The Daily Astorian.

In addition to whatever other consequences might result from the police investigation, Hoppes said the school district will impose the following requirements on the offending team members:

Members will perform community service every Friday for the duration of the game forfeitures;

Drug and alcohol education will be implemented during meetings every Monday;

Grade checks, progress-monitoring and study halls will be carried out each Thursday through the duration of the football season;

Forfeiture of the next three varsity football games (Friday vs. Newport, Sept. 14 at Molalla, Sept. 21 at Cottage Grove);

Forfeiture of the opportunity to win the 2012 Cowapa League title.

Hoppes said that when a situation like this occurs, the players involved are usually required to sit out 20 percent of the season, or two games. The district felt, though, that the situation was serious enough to warrant a third game being forfeited. The first three varsity games have been cancelled entirely, although junior varsity and other levels of football will play their scheduled games.

This is not about football, said Hoppes. This is a lot more serious than a football game.

We will closely monitor the behavior and performance of every team member as he conforms to these requirements and restrictions, Hoppes said. Any student who fails to live up to our expectations will lose his membership on the team.

He said that the involved students need and want to give back to the community to make up for this disappointment. They will help clean up schools before they open next week, but it is not currently know what other kinds of community service they will perform.

The district will also deal with each offender individually under the relevant provisions of the district athletic code, Hoppes added. The fact that the incidents involved drugs and alcohol, and occurred on school district property, could bring additional consequences and penalties for the students.

These are extremely serious infractions that affect everyone in our community, Hoppes said. We will continue to ensure that our students are safe, and we will carry forward this new school year with every expectation of success. The vast majority of our young people are law-abiding, well behaved citizens, and we will give them the kind of school experience they deserve.