Shouting? Acceptable. Cheering? Acceptable. Attacking? Intolerable. The one definite thing about football games is that there is no blindsiding referees allowed.

Two football players, Victor Rojas and Michael Moreno, attacked a referee from behind, from what they claim to be an order from their assistant coach. “You need to hit him,” Moreno quoted Mack Breed, their assistant coach. He further quoted him as saying, “You need to hit the ref. He needs to pay the price.”

The football players and the coaches claim that Breed was making poor calls and was heard repeating racial slurs directed toward the players on their team.

Robert Watts, the referee officiating the game, said, “I have learned that players and possibly coaches…have said that during a game I used racial slurs and insults against John Jay High School players. I did not do that.” Watts suffered through a painful concussion from a hit to his solar plexus.

Not only were Moreno and Rojas were suspended from school for a period of time but they were also not permitted to play on the football team for the rest of the season. Moreno and Rojas might be facing criminal charges if Watts chooses to press any.

Tomas Springhetti, one of Geneva’s own football players, was interviewed and his thoughts on the story were recorded.

“I feel that the football player’s’ actions were very bad, but at the same time I understand their anger and hostility to the racial slurs of the referee, however these football players need to hold their composure and be disciplined and not let their actions get the best of them,” Springhetti said.

Furthermore, he went on to say that he believes the community would be shocked by this type of behavior, especially if the players are supposed to be looked up to as role models.

Despite the fact that the players were just following orders, Moreno and Rojas chose to act upon their coaches anger and they are now forced to pay the lifelong price for it. The boys have expressed their sorrow for their actions and wish to move on from this incident.