A Wisconsin youth football dad was cited after allegedly stepping onto the field and tripping a 9-year-old opponent near the end zone, a move the boy’s coach later called the “most cowardly act” he had ever seen.
The child, an Eagles player wearing No. 88, was pushing toward a possible touchdown during a game against the Milwaukee Colts in Racine when the adult came off the sideline and crashed into him.
The collision sent both of them down, and the boy appeared to land on his head.
Mount Pleasant Police said the 41-year-old father, who was there supporting the Colts, had become “upset over a play.”
After leaving the field, the man was stopped a short distance from Case High School. Police said he cooperated with officers, admitted to the act and acknowledged he was wrong.
He was issued a disorderly conduct citation before being released from custody.
Channing Schultz, the Eagles head coach, was on vacation when the incident happened, but the video left him furious over what happened to his player.
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“I was filled with anger, it was disgusting,” Schultz told CBS. “It was the most cowardly act I’ve ever seen.”
Schultz said the adult appeared committed to making contact, and he argued that the hit could have seriously injured the boy.
“The way he kicked my little guy. His leg could’ve broke. His shin could’ve broke,” Schultz said.
“No words can fix that at all,” he added.
The father has been barred from attending games for the “rest of the season,” but Schultz told CBS he wants him banned for life.
Schultz said that the player who was tripped was unharmed by the incident. “He’s a tough kid, he is doing fine,” he told FOX 6.
The Colts and Eagles are scheduled to play again in two weeks. Schultz said he wants assurance that his players will be protected, or he will consider forfeiting the rematch.
At a Georgia high school football game Friday night, officers had to break up violence near the home-side concession stand after a fight during the Newnan High School and East Coweta High School matchup left five people in custody and a gun on the ground.
The confrontation broke out around halftime, according to WSB-TV 2 News.
Three boys, ages 16, 17 and 18, were among the people taken into custody.
Video shared to Facebook by 11Alive showed boys trading punches and forcing each other down as nearby spectators moved away from the fight.
Two additional fistfights appeared to start on opposite sides of the main melee before deputies and a Georgia State Patrol trooper entered Garland Shoemake Stadium.
Officers separated across the field to restrain people involved in the fighting. Some bystanders appeared to be pulled into the disorder, while others stepped back and recorded.
The video ended with uniformed officers ordering people to leave as several young men were taken away in handcuffs.
The Coweta County Sheriff’s Office said it was still unclear how many of the people involved, if any, were students, according to WSB-TV.
Investigators determined the gun found after the fight had not been fired. Police were trying to determine who brought it onto school grounds.
Authorities were also weighing whether the five people in custody would be formally booked or charged.
No serious injuries were reported among those detained or anyone else at the game.
Coweta County School System Safety Director Danielle Rosa told WSB that deputies were already on site and responded immediately when the fight began.
“We had a strong presence on hand to monitor and respond immediately when this occurred at tonight’s game, and I am grateful for the high level of cooperation and coordination we continue to have here,” Rosa said.
In Pennsylvania, a McKeesport high school football game was stopped with only minutes left after a shot was fired during the fourth quarter Friday night.
The gunfire came shortly before 11 p.m. and spread fear through the stadium as people learned there had been a shooting.
Play-by-play announcer Paul Paterra was broadcasting from the press box when the sound interrupted the game.
“All of a sudden, you hear a loud bang. The memory I will have is the cheerleaders, the football players, just sprinting for cover,” Paterra said.
The game was between South Allegheny and Elizabeth Forward high schools, neither of which were attended by the suspected shooter.
Police said the alleged shooter was a 17-year-old carrying a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic handgun with a round in the chamber. The gun was allegedly stolen.
The teenager was identified as a student at Brashear High School. WTAE reported that no one was injured.
The teen was arrested and is expected to face juvenile delinquency allegations along with receiving stolen property, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm by a minor, possession of a weapon on school property and recklessly endangering another person. Other charges are possible.
South Allegheny Superintendent Dr. David McDonald credited South Allegheny School Police officers and local law enforcement for the response.
“We are grateful for the quick response of our South Allegheny School Police officers and the assistance of our local law enforcement partners. The safety of our students, athletes, families, staff and community remains our highest priority,” McDonald said.
Investigators also found a bullet lodged in the ceiling near the stadium entrance. Police said the gun and bullet will undergo forensic testing.
