A high school football player in Texas has been charged with assault after attacking a referee during a game, The Monitor reported Friday.
Edinburg senior Emmanuel Duron, 18, was ejected Thursday night for unsportsmanlike conduct. He reportedly ran back on the field and barreled over the referee who disqualified him from the game.
Duron was charged with a Class A assault Friday, The Monitor reported. Duron’s bond was set at $10,000, according to the newspaper.
The aggressive confrontation happened during the first half of a playoff game between Edinburg and Pharr-San Juan-Alamo at Richard R. Flores Stadium in Edinburg.
The moment was captured on video and has been viewed more than 1.3 million times on YouTube.
Duron is a senior defensive lineman, according to The Associated Press. The attack was apparent retaliation for the ref’s decision to throw Duron out of the game.
Duron, on the previous play, had been flagged for a late hit on the opposing team’s quarterback.
Duron, who wears No. 88, was called for a personal foul which included unsportsmanlike conduct. After announcing the penalties to the crowd, the ref said Duron wouldn’t be allowed to finish the game.
Seconds later, the video shows Duron running full speed from the sideline toward the referee, with his teammates and coaches in pursuit.
Caught off guard, the ref was bowled over by the impact, his feet flying into the air as he landed hard on the turf.
The ref had to be evaluated for a concussion by medical personnel at the stadium, according to The Monitor of McAllen. Reports said the man had to be checked in an ambulance.
There was no update on the man’s condition Friday.
Edinburg Police Department officers escorted Duron from the stadium, and play resumed after a short delay, the AP reported.
The incident seemed out of character for Duron, who is a star student-athlete at Edinburg.
He was voted the District 31-6A Defensive Player of the Year last season, and he also serves as the Bobcats’ kicker and punter. He is also a standout on the school’s wrestling team, according to reports.
Edinburg won Thursday’s game 35-21, allowing it to advance in the playoffs.
