Colorado high school football coach ejected from game following incident with opposing team's player
A high school in the Denver metro area says that an assistant coach was ejected from a football game Friday night after an incident involving a student-athlete from the opposing team.
Officials with Valor Christian High School, the host school, said an incident occurred involving one of their players and an assistant coach for Mountain Vista High School.
"Coaches are entrusted with modeling integrity, discipline, and respect - values that are fundamental to high school athletics and to the safety of every student on the field," said Head of School Bryan Ritz. "From the video I have seen, the assistant coach's behavior is unacceptable. No coach or adult should ever put their hands on a student. Our community expects and deserves better from those entrusted with mentoring young people."
The school said it's aware that the incident is under investigation by the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Colorado High School Activities Association.
The sheriff's office told CBS Colorado on Saturday that it was investigating what it understood to be a fight. As of Monday morning, no citations or charges have been issued, nor have any arrests been made.
Video from a broadcast of the game shows a scuffle on the Mountain Vista sideline near the end of the game. A long Valor Christian pass was intercepted by a Mountain Vista player with approximately 28 seconds remaining. A Valor player made a hard tackle on the Mountain Vista player who was returning the interception, pushing both players out of bounds. Players from both sides surrounded the players and began pushing and shoving.
The game's referee announced two penalties after the play: One, a personal foul against the Mountain Vista player for the tackle, and a second personal foul on a coach for contact with a player. That coach was ejected.
Mountain Vista won the game 38-36.
Monday, a spokesperson from the Colorado High School Activities Association, which oversees organized high school sports in the state, that it was immediately made aware of the incident Friday night.
"We are working with both schools and their administrations on this," CHSSA Director of Communications Amanda McClure stated in an email.
Valor's Ritz said he's grateful for the swift action of game officials and that they're standing with the player and his family.
"Our top priority is, and will always be, the safety and well-being of our students. We trust that appropriate action will be taken once the full investigation is complete," he added.