This is a tale of two high school football coaches from Washington state. Both took a knee at a football game.

Coach Joe Kennedy of Bremerton High School took a knee to pray to God. He was fired.

Coach Joey Thomas of Garfield High School took a knee to protest America. He was praised.

To be fair, both men coach in different school districts. So the rules on prayer and protest may vary, but it does demonstrate how public schools embrace anti-American sentiment while rejecting freedom of religion.

Coach Thomas made national headlines over the weekend after he joined the entire high school football team in a protest during the national anthem.

“The conversation started two weeks ago, and we were talking about life and some of the things some of the young men have experienced as far as social injustices, and how to deal with certain situations being a man of color,” Coach Thomas told television station KING. “It’s very refreshing to see these young men and women stand up for what they believe in.”

And by stand up, he meant sit down.

The coach told local news reporters the team plans on thumbing its nose at America for the entire season. He went on to say that the idea for the protest came from the players.

“I support it 110 percent and that’s where my mind and heart was, but this is what they wanted,” the coach told KING. “And I think that’s what makes this so special. This is student driven.”

Spoken like a true community organizer.

Fortunately, there is still a remnant of patriotism in the Seattle area and many locals are pretty upset the coach and the team. They accused him of spitting on our freedom and disrespecting our troops.

“We love our troops,” he told the television station. “It’s because of our troops we can exercise this right, freedom of speech.”

In other words, the coach seems to believe the only way to honor the military is by denigrating them and the flag they defend.

And the school district seems to be content with the team’s behavior.

“Students kneeling during the national anthem are expressing their rights protected by the First Amendment,” the district wrote in a statement to our Seattle Fox television affiliate. “Seattle Public Schools supports all students’ right to free speech.”

I feel sorry for the Garfield High School football team.

Coaches are supposed to help shape teenage boys into young men — to teach them about duty and honor. Instead, the youngsters at Garfield are being coached by a community organizer who clearly has a beef with the land of the free and the home of the brave.