Texas HS Ref Collision to Be Treated as Assault on a School Official
By EMILY SHAPIRO
1 hour ago
Good Morning America
The case of two Texas high school football players who have been accused of intentionally colliding into a referee will be treated as an "assault on a school official," school district officials said at a news conference today.
The players, who have been removed from the school and the football team, will not be named because they are minors, the officials said, adding that the school's football season will not be canceled.
Meanwhile, the NFL Referees Association has condemned the actions of the players who police say "targeted" and "blindsided" a referee on a field in Marble Falls, Texas.
During Friday night's game, "two players from John Jay High School targeted one of the game officials and blindsided him, knocking him to the ground," the Marble Falls Police Department said.
Jim Quirk, executive director of the NFL Referees Association, said, "I’ve never seen anything like this in all my years of officiating at the high school, collegiate or professional level."
Quirk added, “These types of actions against any game official at any level are inexcusable. We fully support the suspensions of the players involved, along with a full and complete investigation by the Texas University Interscholastic League (UIL)."
.. View photo . The incident was caught on video and is being investigated by the Marble Falls Police Department.
No arrests have been made, although both students have been suspended. The name of the referee has not been released.
Texas HS Football Players 'Targeted' and 'Blindsided' Ref, Police Say
'Disturbing' Video Captures High School Football Players Colliding With Referee
Two other Jay players had been ejected on separate plays before the referee was knocked to the ground.
The game was against Marble Falls High School in Marble Falls, about 90 miles north of San Antonio. The Jays lost 15-9.
"Both students have been suspended from the football team as well as from school," Pascual Gonzalez, spokesman for the Northside Independent School District, which includes John Jay, said in a statement to ABC News of the two who went after the referee.
The University Interscholastic League said it is "extremely concerned about the actions portrayed in the football game between Marble Falls and San Antonio Jay."
"The League is working with the school districts and officials involved to conduct a thorough investigation," the UIL said in a statement. "The UIL takes this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete."
The Texas Association of Sports Officials said it is also looking into the matter.
Poster Comment:
Recall the movie "The Longest Yard" where the QB of the inmates hits the ref in the groin with the football for making bad calls. LOL