Two High School Football Players In Texas Suspended For Tackling Referee From Behind

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Two high school football players from a school near San Antonio, Texas were suspended and could face charges, after ramming into a referee during game Friday night, according to KSAT.

The two defensive backs from John Jay High School hit the referee in the last moments of the game against Marble Falls High School. Video of the incident shows the referee, Robert Watts, who was watching the play from behind the defensive line, get hit from behind from by Victor Rojas. The hit caused the referee’s head to snap back. A second player, Michael Moreno, is then seen piling on to the referee who was already on the ground.

The two players have been suspended from school and the team, according to a statement released by the Northside Independent School District.

“The incident is extremely disturbing,” Pascual Gonzalez, Northside Independent School District executive director of communications said in a statement. “Not the sportsmanlike behavior we teach students.”

Gonzalez said the school will launch an investigation, including interviews with student athletes and the coaching staff, on Tuesday.

The referee was “very upset” and is considering pressing charges, Austin Football Officials Association secretary Wayne Elliott said according to ESPN.

"The first thing we want is that those two kids never play football again," Elliott said.

Earlier in the game, two John Jay players were ejected from the game during a separate incident.

“The [Texas University Interscholastic League] is extremely concerned about the actions portrayed in the football game between Marble Falls and San Antonio Jay,” the UIL said in statement. “The League is working with the school districts and officials involved to conduct a thorough investigation. The UIL takes this matter very seriously and will take appropriate action once the investigation is complete.”

Marble Falls coach Matt Green said that John Jay coach Gary Gutierrez apologized after the game, according to the Associated Press.

“I’ve coached 14 years, and I’ve never seen anything like it,” Green said.