A California high school football coach stands accused of physically sparring with the grandfather of one of his players following a recent game in an incident that has had an impact on both parties involved.
As reported by San Diego ABC affiliate KGTV, a high school football game at Valley Center (Calif.) High School was the site of a disturbing attack by the grandfather of a player who was upset with an assistant coach who berated the teen following a blown play in the first half.
A Valley Center cheerleader, Isela Zepeda, offered a blow-by-blow description of how the event unfolded to KGTV.
“The other team ran past us for 50 yards. The student just didn’t get the tackle, so they got the touchdown,” Zepeda told KGTV. “I heard that the assistant coach grabbed him, pushed him to the bench and started yelling at him.
“Heard a lot of yelling. Saw a big crowd. He started choking him out.”
What happened next is still up for debate. One high school senior on the scene told KGTV that conflicting stories about the incident — one strain claims Valley Center head football coach Rob Gilster punched the grandfather to get him to release the assistant, while another claims there was no direct physical contact between Gilster and the grandparent.
Either way, the fight was serious enough to warrant further investigation by Valley Center Pauma Unified School District, and could land a long term suspension for either coach allegedly involved. Because they both teach classes, and because both are currently on administrative leave, questions remain about what will come next.
KGTV reported that the grandfather involved suffered broken orbital bones around his eye.
