A California high school football coach has resigned in the aftermath of an ugly fight between players for his team and an opponent.
As reported by Bakersfield ABC affiliate KERO, the head football coach at Delano (Calif.) High School resigned following a fight that unfolded between players from Delano and Mission Oak High School (Tulare, Calif.). While players from both teams were involved in the skirmish, Delano acted proactively to ward off more pernicious penalties from the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) with the extend of the damage today — the entire Delano football team, including coaches, will be on probation throughout the 2020 season.
That probation won’t cost Delano anything in 2019, but it will cost them playoff eligibility in 2020.
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Additionally, it’s not immediately known if the entire football team was suspended from school in connection with the incident, though the Delano Police Department announced in a public release that it would be filing charges against players for both teams.
“After reviewing the many videos and conducting numerous interviews, the Delano Police Department will be filing the case with the Kern County District Attorney’s Office for review and requesting formal charges on players from both teams. We would like to thank the staff from both school districts for their cooperation in the handling of this sensitive matter.”
There has been no indication as of yet that Delano was forced out. Rather, given what is currently known, it appears his decision to resign was a unilateral one taken after the incident and while a police investigation was ongoing.
“We believe that the we took the appropriate action following the incident,” Delano principal Rene Ayon told KERO. “Although it is disappointing that we will not be included in the CIF playoffs, we still support the CIF’s decision.”