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Antwain Easterling Plays In Game, Team Wins 34-14

Easterling is star running back

Antwain Easterling's family believes he was setup

MIAMI (CBS4) ― A South Florida high school saw it's star running back assist his team in winning the state football championship Saturday night after his alleged involvement in a school sex scandal originally threatened his appearance.

Antwain Easterling's family was notified Friday evening by the principal of Northwestern Senior High School alerting them that Easterling would be able to play in Saturday's state title championship game at Dolphin Stadium. Northwestern went on to win 34-14, 7 of those points scored by Easterling, who suffered a minor shoulder injury during the game.

Easterling to CBS4, "I feel great right now, I just wanted to do this for the team."

The star running back had "no weapon against me shall prosper" written on one of his equipment pads and showed it off right before he took to the field.

Easterling's mother, Emma, spoke exclusively to CBS4's Shomari Stone saying she was "glad" her son was playing in the game and "heartbroken" her son has to go through such a scandal and that he's been depressed since Thursday about the trying situation.

Easterling's aunt, Kim Jackson, told Stone before the game that the family is sticking by him and wanted him to focus on the game and nothing else. Jackson said she told her nephew, "not to worry about nothing because everything is going to be alright," said.

Stone reported that Ms. Easterling was worried about the lawyer's fees that will be associated with her son's case and is hoping a lawyer will take her case on a pro-bono basis.

Family members of the 19-year old Easterling met with the school principal and school board officials at Miami Northwestern Senior High School on Friday morning, in an effort to convince them to allow Easterling to play in Saturday's championship game.

Easterling posted $7500 bond after being booked at the Dade County Jail Thursday. He was charged with Lewd and Lascivious Battery on an underage student at the school. Miami Police say when Easterling was 18, he had sex with a 14-year-old girl . Even though it was consensual, police say it's still a crime.

"If a younger person says 'I consented; I wanted to', as an adult, as a person of age, you should discriminate," said police spokesperson Herminia Salas-Jacobson.

Police also arrested 16-year-old Dante Maurice Jefferson and 18-year-old Vincent Shannon Jefferson for Lewd and Lascivious Battery. They are still interviewing more students in the case and even a man in his 20's for allegedly having sex with the unidentified girl. Dante Jefferson was released to his parents by a judge Friday, and was ordered to not have any contact with alleged victim.

Easterling's mother, father and aunt were saddened and hurt about the allegations against Easterling and believe he was set up. His mother, Emma Easterling, told CBS4, "I hope it blows over because it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous."

Easterling's dad doesn't believe his son seduced anyone and believes it was a way to snub Antwain of his achievements. "Somebody got to get paid to do some mess like that," said Enisel Joseph, Antwain's father.

Easterling was being recruited by schools such as Notre Dame, the University of Miami and the University of Florida.

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