Bell Game celebration sparks disciplinary action for Victor Valley
A heated rivalry game between Victor Valley and Apple Valley ended with more than a 20-7 score. Victor Valley’s victory in the Bell Game was followed by a one-week suspension of its varsity football program after district officials cited unsportsmanlike conduct.
The punishment also led to the forfeiture of a scheduled game, while lower-level teams remained eligible to compete. Here’s what happened during the rivalry matchup, what officials said about the incident, and how the disciplinary decision could affect Victor Valley’s season.
The Bell Game ended with a Victor Valley win
Victor Valley defeated Apple Valley 20-7 in the 56th annual Bell Game, a longstanding Southern California rivalry. The Sept. 11 contest was played at Ray Moore Stadium in Victorville, where Victor Valley retained possession of the Bell trophy.
MaxPreps records the final score as 20-7 and lists Victor Valley at 3-1 after four games. The victory was the Jackrabbits’ fourth game of the season and their second consecutive Bell Game win over Apple Valley.
District officials cited unsportsmanlike conduct
Superintendent Carl J. Coles and Principal Darius Robinson said members of the Victor Valley football team behaved in an unsportsmanlike manner toward the opposing team and its fans. Their statement cited offensive gestures and language during the Bell Game.
District officials said the behavior crossed the standards expected of student-athletes and coaches representing Victor Valley High School. The statement did not identify individual players or coaches as responsible for the reported conduct.
Postgame celebrations drew attention
After Victor Valley secured the victory, players moved onto the field and celebrated with the Bell trophy. Reports said several players interacted with the Apple Valley stands during the celebration before coaches directed them back toward their sideline.
Videos and photographs circulated online showing gestures toward the opposing crowd during and after the game. However, the district’s official statement described the conduct generally rather than providing a detailed list of every gesture or comment.
The school mascot was also shown in videos
Videos circulating after the game showed the Victor Valley Jackrabbits mascot making an obscene hand gesture toward the Apple Valley crowd. The footage became part of the public discussion surrounding conduct during and after the rivalry matchup.
The district did not state that the mascot’s gesture alone caused the suspension. Officials instead referred broadly to offensive gestures and language directed toward the opposing team and its fans.
Coaches intervened during the celebration
Reports from the game showed Victor Valley coaches intervening during the postgame celebration. The coaches directed players away from the Apple Valley crowd and back toward the Victor Valley sideline.
Head coach Thomas Riley is listed as Victor Valley’s varsity head coach, but the district’s announcement did not identify individual coaches as having intervened. District officials suspended the varsity coaching staff along with the players for one week following the incident.
The Brea Olinda game was forfeited
Victor Valley had been scheduled to host Brea Olinda on Friday, Sept. 18, following the Bell Game. Because the varsity program was suspended for the week, the scheduled matchup will not be played.
District officials confirmed that the Brea Olinda contest will be recorded as a forfeit for Victor Valley. The previously published schedule listed the matchup as a home game at Victor Valley High School.
The forfeiture affects Victor Valley’s record
The disciplinary forfeiture gives Victor Valley an additional loss after the team won 3 games on the field during the opening portion of its 2026 schedule. Before the forfeiture, MaxPreps listed the Jackrabbits at 3-1 after the Apple Valley victory.
Reports following the district announcement said the forfeiture would move Victor Valley to 3-2. The team’s next scheduled opportunity to play was listed as a Sept. 25 home game against Lancaster.
Interesting fact: The Bell Game dates back to 1969, making the Victor Valley–Apple Valley rivalry nearly six decades old.
Lower-level teams can continue playing
The one-week suspension specifically affects Victor Valley’s varsity football players and coaching staff. District reporting states that the suspension does not apply to lower-level football teams.
MaxPreps separately lists Victor Valley’s freshman team as a separate program with its own 2026 schedule. The distinction means the disciplinary action did not suspend every football team connected to the school.
Interesting fact: The Bell Game is played for possession of a physical rivalry trophy, a large bell that is painted in the winning school’s colors.
District leaders issued an apology
Superintendent Coles and Principal Robinson apologized to Apple Valley’s players, students, staff, coaches, parents and community members. They also apologized to Victor Valley supporters and acknowledged that the host school had fallen short of the standards of respect, sportsmanship and hospitality expected by the neighboring community.
District leaders said players and coaches would work with school leaders and district administrators during the suspension period to review the code of conduct and reinforce the standards expected of student-athletes and coaches.
Officials did not identify individual players
The district’s announcement did not name specific Victor Valley players or coaches as responsible for the reported conduct. Instead, officials described the behavior as involving members of the football team and addressed the varsity program collectively.
That distinction is important because public reports contain additional details from videos and photographs, while the official district statement remained broader. The school formally based its action on unsportsmanlike behavior involving offensive gestures and language.
The Bell Game remains a major rivalry
The Bell Game has been played between Victor Valley and Apple Valley for decades and is associated with a rivalry trophy. The 2026 meeting was the 56th edition of the annual rivalry game.
Victor Valley’s 20-7 victory gave the Jackrabbits the Bell for a second consecutive season. In 2025, Victor Valley defeated Apple Valley 21-14, ending Apple Valley’s 12-game winning streak in the rivalry.
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Victor Valley is expected to return after the suspension
The one-week suspension does not end Victor Valley’s 2026 football season. After forfeiting the Brea Olinda game, the Jackrabbits were scheduled to continue their season with a home matchup against Lancaster on Sept. 25.
District officials said players and coaches would work with school leaders and district administrators during the suspension period to review the code of conduct and reinforce the standards expected of student-athletes and coaches. The program remains scheduled to continue after the announced disciplinary penalty.
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What do you think about the suspension and the decision to forfeit Victor Valley’s next game? Like this slideshow and leave a comment with your thoughts on the district’s response.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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