Football: Douglas not considering drug testing

McQueen High School's football program had its proposal to perform random drug testing on its players tabled by the Washoe County School District last week.

The proposal, which will be voted on Tuesday night, could make the school the first in Northern Nevada to undertake any such endeavor.

While some other local schools have looked into similar proposals, Douglas High has not yet begun to pursue the subject.

"It's something that is out there on the horizon," Douglas athletic director Jeff Evans said. "But, we haven't taken a good look at it. It's not anything we have pursued."

It's not for lack of wanting to.

"Obviously, it's a good idea," Douglas football coach Mike Rippee said. "Anytime you can hold people accountable and do it in that manner, it's a good idea.

"We'd have to be naive to think that we don't have those types of problems. I just think holding people accountable and going by the rules is a good idea."

Cost, though, seems to be the prohibitive to the process.

In McQueen's proposal, testing for perfomance-enhancing and recreational drugs would run about $37 per test, which the Lancer booster program would cover.

For Douglas to do ever be able to do something similar, the funding would most-likely have to come from elsewhere.

"It would cost some serious money to do these tests," Rippee said. "McQueen's been put on hold, but that doesn't mean it's not a good idea. You just have to look at the reality of the times we live in.

"Everyone is going to be looking at some cost-cutting with the budget coming up in the district. Everyone is looking at cuts."

Southern 4A's Green Valley High School has been testing its athletes for performance-enchancing and recreational drugs since 2006.

Evans said he knew Carson High was also looking at a similar program.

"It's unfortunate that we even have to consider these things," Rippee said. "But this is something that is out there and is a real problem."