Two John Jay High School football players who appear to have deliberately tackled a referee during a game Friday night, have been suspended from school as well as the team, officials said Sunday.
The district released a statement Sunday morning about the event.
"This is disturbing," Northside ISD spokesman Pascual Gonzalez said as part of the district's official statement. "It is not the sportsmanlike behavior that we teach our students. We are cooperating fully with the University Interscholastic League with this investigation."
Late in Jay’s 15-9 loss at Marble Falls, one defensive back ran from 7 yards away into the back of an official watching a run play unfold 9 yards in front of him.
After the referee fell to the turf after the first hit, another player standing to the right of the referee and several yards away led with his helmet and dove into the official.
Both players were ejected. Northside ISD athletic director Stan Laing said the video was “very disturbing.” Laing said the district is investigating the sequence of events leading up to the play, and the UIL is aware of what happened.
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Darian Wayne Claiborne, Texas A&M linebacker
Arrested Dec. 22, 2013 on charges of possession of a dangerous drug and possession of less than two ounces of marijuana; arrested Feb. 22, 2014 for an alleged noise violation; Arrested June 3, 2014 for aggravated battery
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Jay players appear to target official with huge hit.
“The question of what instigated that is what we’re trying to figure out,” Laing said.
Laing said the officiating chapter that oversees the Austin-based crew that worked the game is in the process of getting statements regarding the incident.
Before that play, two Jay players were ejected on separate plays. The incident occurred with about a minute left in the game, according to Marble Falls coach Matt Green.
Marble Falls was looking to gain the yards required to extend its possession and effectively run out the clock and called for a handoff toward the left side of the line of scrimmage.
The penalties stemming from the incident gave Marble Falls a first down. After the game, Green said Jay coach Gary Gutierrez apologized for the late events.
Green said he had to believe there was no way Gutierrez condoned the behavior and was upset with the behavior of those players. Laing said the district is trying to get multiple accounts of what happened leading up to the play and determine what instigated those events.
Green said the play was unique from others he’s witnessed during his career.
“I’ve coached 14 years and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Green said.
