Tenn. prep football player suspended over hit on referee

If these headlines are beginning to sound repetitive, it’s because they are. For the third time in as many weeks, a high school football player has been suspended over what might be a malicious hit on a referee.

Glencliff High School (Tennessee) was facing Gallatin on Friday, when in the second quarter a Glencliff player cut across the field during a play and ran straight over the ref. There is certainly an argument to be made that the hit was accidental — the player was cutting across the field to pursue action on the opposite side — but that’s until you hear what occurred before the play.

From The Gallatin News:

Kyle Gill was the field umpire during the game and involved in the collision.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what went down,” Gill said.

Gill said that he had spoken to Easley just prior to the play.

“I had spoken to the player on the play before and he told me that I was in his way,” Gill said. “I asked him how long he’d been playing football and he had to realize that the referees are part of the field. I told him that he should have to avoid me and not the other way around. On the very next play, you saw what happened.”

Based on the circumstances, it certainly sounds like the referee may have been targeted. That makes it somewhat surprising that the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association told The Gallatin News it will not investigate the incident or hand down additional punishment. After reviewing the tape, TSSAA officials have determined the hit was accidental.

The TSSAA went as far as to tell the school not to suspend the athlete, who it should be noted is the son of the head football coach, according to the article. School officials did tell the newspaper that the student-athlete was suspended.

Read the complete story here, and watch video of the hit below.