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A high school football scrimmage turned into a brawl when an assistant coach targeted a rival player.
The fight started at a Friday scrimmage between El Reno High School and Clinton High School in Lawton. A referee penalized an El Reno player for unsportsmanlike conduct after he became frustrated and threw away the ball.
“If everybody just would have walked away, it would have never happened,” El Reno head football coach Chuck Atchison told KFOR.
Video taken by a parent at the game shows the Clinton coach on the field suddenly grabbing the El Reno player, which led to fights between the two teams. The fights moved to the sidelines and the teams were separated.
“I was highly upset,” mom Kim Sparks told the TV station. Her son was the El Reno player the coach grabbed. “Seeing a grown man basically assault my son.”
Clinton placed the assistant coach on paid administrative leave, but Sparks believes he should lose his job.
“I think he needs to be fired and should not be allowed to teach or coach other kids,” Sparks said.
In a letter, officials at El Reno and Clinton said “unsportsmanlike conduct and violence are unacceptable," News9 reported.
The two schools are now jointly investigating the incident.