With its coach back on the sideline after serving a two-game suspension in the aftermath of an 84-point rout of Ygnacio Valley, College Park was embroiled in another controversy Friday night as its season ended with a 41-15 loss on the road to Windsor in the North Coast Section Division III playoffs.
As Windsor was lining up to take a knee to run out the clock, a College Park player charged around the edge and hit the quarterback before the ball was snapped.
The play, the last of the game even though there was time on the clock, reportedly followed a series of unsportsmanlike and personal-foul penalties that left College Park with a fourth-and-82 from its own 5 before the change of possession.
“We’re lucky our guy isn’t in the hospital right now, because the guy came off the edge and behind him and speared him in the back of the neck,” Windsor coach DJ Sexton told the Press Democrat. “Our kid has a headache so bad he can’t see straight right now. … We’re lucky we’re not dealing with a major deal because of a team doing that. I just watched the film and it’s crazy. It was out of hand.”
College Park coach Travis Raciti did not respond to a text late Friday night from the Bay Area News Group that included quotes from the Windsor coach.
Raciti and athletic director Jim Keck were suspended for the final two games of the regular season by Mt. Diablo Unified School District Superintendent Dr. Adam Clark days after College Park’s 84-0 victory over Ygnacio Valley on Oct. 21.
Clark was upset by at least two excessive celebration penalties after touchdowns, a two-point conversion attempt in the second quarter with College Park ahead 47-0 and some starters apparently playing in the third quarter.
Ygnacio Valley coach Rae Jackson also was furious.
A day after the 84-0 loss, Jackson told the Bay Area News Group, “I truly believe they were trying to put up 100 points, man. After the game, they went underneath the scoreboard and they were taking pictures.”
Email messages were left for Clark and Keck on Saturday morning.
Keck responded by writing, “I did not attend the game last night.”
Sexton, in an interview with the Press Democrat, described Friday’s game as chippy in the second half.
“I’ve never been a part of a game like that in all the years I’ve coached, as far as cheap shots and penalties and just really scary-looking plays,” Sexton said to the Santa Rosa newspaper. “I mean especially there at the end.”
After the high hit, Sexton said the officials called the game, and Windsor players were escorted off the field and to their cars.
“It was just an ugly scene overall, which was unfortunate because I thought both teams played a pretty decent game on the field, but it just turned into an out-of-control situation,” Sexton said.
Here’s the final play of the Windsor-College Park game.
The score was 41-15. Windsor was taking a knee to end the game. pic.twitter.com/e3WcagJRGM
— Gus Morris (@JustGusPD) November 12, 2022
Not much to say, except the game ended with time on the clock. 😞 quite a bit of bad sportsmanship and rough play. Not what it’s about. Final Windsor 41 CP 15 Windsor will play at home next week Friday 7 PM
— Windsor High Athletics (@WHSCA_ATHLETICS) November 12, 2022
Source: www.mercurynews.com