Texas prep player who clobbered official, coach hit with severe penalties

A Texas HS player who hit an official and his coach have received more penalties

The Texas high school player who was ejected from a game and went back on the field and hit an official has received more stern penalties. As has his coach.

Per The Monitor: 

During an at-times tense executive committee hearing Monday morning, the University Interscholastic League voted unanimously to levy additional penalties and punishments on Edinburg High School, Bobcats head football coach JJ Leija and defensive lineman Emmanuel Duron after an incident Dec. 3 when Duron made “inappropriate physical contact with an official,” after being ejected from a District 31-6A zone play-in game against the PSJA High Bears.

The end result will see Duron suspended from all UIL activities for the rest of his senior academic year.

Duron already faces assault charges from the incident, which saw him knock longtime official Fred Gracia to the field after the player was hit with a personal foul and subsequently ejected. The 18-year-old, was charged with class A assault during an arraignment and booked into Hidalgo County jail before posting a $10,000 surety bond.

His coach, JJ Leija, received a one-year probation period beginning at the start of the 2021-22 academic year. Additionally, Edinburg High’s athletic programs will go on a probationary period that will begin immediately and conclude at the end of the 2022-23 school year.

“I’d like to say that I’m sorry for what happened to my coaches, my family and to the UIL,” Duron said Monday.

This was not the first incident for Duron.

In a soccer match against Edinburg Vela during the 2019-20 academic year, Duron slapped a red card out of an official’s hand and shoved himself his chest with both hands before being removed from the field by coaches.

Duron was suspended from participating in soccer for the remainder of the 2019-20 season.