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Texas high school football player attacks referee after being ejected from game, taken away by police

Cumru twp., PA - October 9: A football on the sidelines before the start of the game. A football on the sidelines before the start of the game. High School football, the Exeter Eagles vs the Gov. Mifflin Mustangs in Cumru Friday night October 9, 2020. Gov. Mifflin won 56-14. (Photo by Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images)
A high school football player in Texas was escorted from the game by police on Thursday. (Ben Hasty/Reading Eagle via Getty Images, file)

A high-stakes Texas high school football game turned ugly on Thursday when a defensive lineman attacked an official after being ejected from the game.

Edinburg High School took on PSJA High School with a berth in the state playoffs on the line. The Monitor’s Andrew McCulloch was on the scene to cover the game and documented the attack.

During the first half, an Edinburg player McCulloch identified as defensive tackle Emmanuel Duron was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. McCulloch provided video of the incident showing the official disqualifying Duron before Duron ran onto the field and slammed him to the ground.

Football player slams ref to the ground

The official was turned away from his attacker and didn’t see the hit coming. One of Duron’s teammates and members of the Edinburg football staff immediately subdued him.

What led up to the attack

A Twitter user watching the game on TV at home captured the play that led up to the attack on video. Duron hit the opposing quarterback after the ball was thrown and was flagged for a late hit in addition to unsportsmanlike conduct.

McCulloch reports that police escorted Duron from the game and provided images of the attack and the aftermath taken by The Monitor’s Joel Martinez.

According to the report, the official remained on the turf after the hit before being taken to an ambulance to be evaluated for a concussion and potential shoulder injury. He did not return to officiate the second half.

As of the time of this post, the status of the referee and any potential charges against Duron were not clear.

“No comment,” police told McCulloch when asked about Duron’s status. “We’re not at liberty to talk about that.”

Duron a star athlete in Edinburg

Duron is a star player for Edinburg on track for All-Area honors, according to McCulloch. He’s also the team’s punter and kicker and was named The Monitor’s All-Area wrestler of the year in 2020. He was a favorite to compete for a state wrestling championship in 2021 as a senior.

Edinburg went on to win the game, 35-21 to advance to the playoffs.

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