STAUNTON – Lawrence Lightfoot said he was dismissed as a volunteer head football coach with the Staunton Youth Football League simply for defending one of his players.
His assistant coach Keishawn Witherspoon and the senior team mom, Krystle Dove, were also apparently let go from their volunteer positions this week.
It all stems from an incident at Sunday’s youth football game between Staunton and Wilson. Both coaches and Dove said some Wilson adults and fans hurled profanity at the Staunton team. Also, they said Staunton fans were called racial slurs by some from the opposing team crowd.
The programs are part of the Augusta County Quarterback Club, an organization designed for youth up to 13 years of age. It is not affiliated with the Augusta County Public Schools.
It began when one of the Staunton players was penalized for an illegal tackle. That player has since been suspended for two games, according to the player’s father, William Sims.
Lightfoot said after his player was penalized, one of the Wilson coaches ran onto the field and yelled at the Staunton player.
“He told him to ‘Shut the f— up and get back in the huddle,'” Lightfoot said. “That was his words.”
The coach said at a Saturday community meeting that he did not speak to the players that way. “I just politely said, ‘Hey, listen, you gotta go to your sideline.’ That’s all the words that were stated between me and that young man,” Gary Sprouse said.
Lightfoot then ran onto the field and told the Wilson coach not to talk to his players. Lightfoot admitted he gave a middle finger toward the Wilson sideline.
“I shouldn’t have done that,” Lightfoot said. “I regret doing that. I shouldn’t have been doing that in front of these kids.”
