Top Stories

It'll Probably Be Game On For Antwain Easterling

Antwain Easterling's family believes he was setup

Title game is Saturday

Easterling is star running back

MIAMI (CBS4) ― Just one day before the state football championship, a South Florida high school was waiting to see if its star running back will be able to play in the big game after his alleged involvement in a school sex scandal, but CBS4 News sources have confirmed that he will probably play.

Family members of 19-year old Antwain 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. Ultimately, the school's principal will have to give the official word for Easterling to play.

Many high school football fans we spoke to Friday night told us they were happy if he plays, because no one knows what really happened yet.

Antwain 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 the girl who was under the age of 16 at the time. 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 are saddened and hurt about the allegations against their son and believe he was set up. His mother, Emma Easterling, told CBS-4'S Nefertiti Jaquez "I hope it blows over because it's ridiculous. It's ridiculous."

She went on to say, "He got to play in this game because he made this team and you know, there ain't going to be no game without him."

His family also told us he spent most of Friday depressed, in the company of his girlfriend and newborn child.

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.

Easterling's aunt told CBS4 News the family is sticking by him. "We're going to get him a lawyer and he's going to go on to college and he's still going to be a professional football player," said Kim Jackson.

Jackson also told CBS4 News on Thursday night that the alleged incident took place four months ago, and she believes the public is learning about it now so he can't play in Saturday's championship game.

(© MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)