Thieves broke into a Kelseyville High school bus and stole items belonging to football players during a game in the Sacramento Valley, according to a Glenn County sheriff's official Tuesday.
Glenn County deputies are investigating the theft, which occurred Friday night during a game between Kelseyville and Hamilton City High School.
Kelseyville players had traveled from Lake County to the Glenn County town — about a two-hour bus ride — for the games.
As they played, the thief or thieves apparently busted open the locked bus door, said Steve Olson, Kelseyville high's athletic director.
While Olson said it's fairly common to hear about things stolen from locker rooms, a bus break-in was different.
"Going through a bus like that, that's kind of a new thing to be looking out for," he said.
"It's unfortunate. I'm sure it was not a jovial bus ride home," said Olson, noting that the Kelseyville varsity also lost the game.
A sheriff's official Tuesday said a full list of items stolen still was being compiled by Kelseyville victims.
Olson said as many as eight backpacks may have been taken, including several cell phones, iPods, some wallets and the bus driver's purse.
He said he'll now encourage players not to bring valuables with them to games.
"Our principal is dealing with their principal. The police are trying to solve it," Olson. "We hope they do and people get their stuff back."
The same night, in Sonoma County, someone went into a locker room at Analy High School in Sebastopol and stole several items belonging to Piner football players.
That theft also remains under investigation.
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