Disgusting, cowardly act by the players. If you disagree with a ref's call, you take it up after the game with the association/conference/district. Deliberately targeting an official like that, in an attack that looks like it was almost designed to do spinal damage, is nothing short of assault.

 

I highly doubt that two players cooked up that idea on their own in the huddle. I also highly doubt that a coach specifically told them to take out the ref, but all a fired-up coach would have to say to a couple of kids to make that happen was, "Somebody should teach that ref a lesson." IMO, there should be a full investigation by the district and by law enforcement. The two players involved should be charged with assault and banned from playing high school football in the state of Texas. I'm not sure if a court could legally order that they not play college ball there, but I doubt that will be an issue. If any coaches were involved, even just by making an off-hand comment that "inspired" the players to attack, they should be banned from coaching at any level in the state of Texas and charged with any crimes they committed. The school's head coach should also be suspended for lack of institutional control. Ultimately, the captain bears at least partial blame for the conduct of his crew, right?

 

I agree with JIB on not suspending the entire team, out of consideration for the kids who weren't involved in the attack. If the school's football team is removed from competition for the rest of the year, players on the team that weren't part of the incident should be allowed to transfer to other schools where they can play, but then you're displacing kids on other teams, and the odds of transfer students becoming starters after the season has started are pretty long, even in high school. If nothing else, the school should be required to vacate that victory (if they won the game, I have no idea). If there is a broader, institutionalized problem with that team, then perhaps a ban on postseason play and vacating all wins this year would be an appropriate punishment, with probation stipulations that if there are any similar incidents within X years, the school loses its team for a season. By vacating all wins this year and being removed from postseason eligibility, the school is appropriately punished, and even though the players really have nothing to play for, they're still able to get game tape for college recruiters.

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