Jon Jay High School coach admits to placing hit on referee

As expected, the John Jay High School football players that targeted a referee didn’t do so of their own accord, instead being instructed to do so by a coach.

The entire sports lexicon was appalled a few weeks ago when two Jon Jay High School players intentionally targeted and hit a defenseless referee. Now we’re receiving confirmation that an assistant coach has admitted to ordering the hit(s).

According to Jon Barr of ESPN’s Outside The Lines, assistant coach Mack Breed admitted to ordering the players to seek retribution for bad calls and reported racial slurs from the referee. ESPN has come into possession of a letter in which John Jay principal recalls Breed’s confession after the game.

The play in question occurred on September 4th, with video surfacing shortly thereafter that showed John Jay players Victor Rojas and Michael Moreno intentionally target the referee Robert Watts well away from the play itself. According to the statement, a third player was also asked to be in on the play but opted out of being involved.

Both the players and the coach are maintaining that referee Watts used racial slurs throughout the game, including twice using the “n-word” according to Outside the Lines. That prompted Coach Breed to tells his players to seek their perceived justice in the final minute of the game.

"“He then informed me that Coach Breed had disclosed to him [Gutierrez] that he directed the players to take out the referee,” Harris wrote. “[Gutierrez] stated that Coach Breed initially asked him what was going to happen to the players during their ride home from the game. After Coach Gutierrez informed him that the players would be removed from the team, he informed Coach Gutierrez that he directed the players to strike the referee.” (h/t ESPN)"

As discussed in the quote, the two players were in fact removed from the team and are currently assigned to an alternative school while they await a hearing into their actions. However, the pair could face expulsion in the matter, a penalty that may be reduced after it came to light that a coach was involved in ordering the play.

"“You put your trust into this grown-up, this guardian, your coach, who’s been there for me. … I trust him. I did what I was told,” Moreno said. (h/t Bleacher Report)"

With that said, it’s hard to image that the two children involved at the heart of the matter will skirt scott free. Regardless of whether they were told to do so by an adult or not, their prior experience in playing should have been enough to indicate how to handle referee relations and how not to do so. One of the three players involved in the discussion was smart enough to take himself away from the situation.

They all could have let justice play out in a different way, something that could also be happening shortly with the referee facing a formal complaint from the Northside Independent School District. Instead, everyone involved made one bad decision after another.

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As expected, the John Jay High School football players that targeted a referee didn’t do so of their own accord, instead being instructed to do so by a coach.

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