UPDATE:  A South Texas high school football player accused of attacking a referee has been arrested on a charge of assault causing bodily injury.

Eighteen-year-old Emmanuel Duron was behind bars at the Hidalgo County Jail Friday with bond set at $10,000 dollars. If convicted, the Edinburg High School senior defensive lineman could get up to one year in jail and a maximum fine of $4,000.

Video during the game against Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School Thursday night shows Duron getting ejected from the game for unsportsmanlike conduct.  Then he runs onto the field and slams into the referee, knocking him to the ground.   The Monitor of McAllen reports that Daniel Gracia, 58, suffered a shoulder injury, and a mild concussion.

Barry Mano, head of the National Association of Sports Officials, says attacks on refs are on the rise, and he’s not talking about verbal harassment.  mild concussion and shoulder injury.

“There certainly have been more physical attacks against sports officials.  It’s one of the main reasons that people get out of officiating,” said Mano.

He blames modern society.

“We really have lost some respect for authority.  We don’t accept when when people say no, and if you think about it, sports officials are in the business of saying no,’ said Mano.

Edinburg went on to win the game last night, but the school district has pulled the team out of the playoffs because of the incident. District officials also issued an apology to the referee and his family.

 

 

 

PREVIOUS STORY: 

SAN ANTONIO (KTSA News) A South Texas high school  football game took an ugly turn Thursday night when a player who got ejected ran back onto the field and body slammed the referee, knocking him to the ground.  The Monitor of McAllen newspaper caught the whole thing on video.

The ref had just announced from the field that Edinburg High School Senior Emmanuel Duron, number 88, was ‘disqualified’ for unsportsmanlike conduct.  The video shows Duron running back on the field as another player and staff members tried to stop him. He hit the ref and knocked him on his rear.  Police escorted Duron out of the stadium where Edinburg was playing the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo High School Bears, (PSJA).

The ref was evaluated on the scene and play resumed after a break. Edinburg beat PSJA to move on in the playoffs.

More about: