The father of a high school football player who was also an assistant coach on his son's team attempted to tackle an opposing player during a game.
Jason Fung, an assistant coach in Palo Alto and the father of quarterback Justin, is facing disciplinary action for the altercation, which caused a significant delay during a game against Sacred Heart Prep.
According to SF Gate, Palo Alto was trailing 28-14 and facing fourth-and-4 from the Gators’ 47-yard line. On the play, Justin Fung faced a blitz from the Gators and ran several yards backward and escaped from one defender, who grabbed onto his face mask, drawing a penalty flag. He then scrambled to his left to avoid the oncoming pressure.
As Justin neared the Palo Alto sideline, two Gators tackled him, with one Sacred Heart Prep player emerging with the ball and holding it up in the air. In video of the incident, Jason Fung can be seen walking up to the player holding the ball and attempting to swipe at the held-up football. When Jason missed on the swipe, he appeared to stumble to the ground near the Gators player but grabbed ahold of that player’s leg and walked for several yards while still holding it.
Palo Alto players pulled Jason away and players from both teams argued with each other, leading to pushing and shoving. Referees spent about 10 minutes sorting out the situation and police were summoned to the field.
Palo Alto published an unsigned statement to its school website on Tuesday about the incident: “We are aware of the incident that occurred at Saturday's football game and take this matter very seriously. Our administration team is working closely with the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League (SCVAL) and Central Coast Section (CCS) to fully understand what transpired and to determine the appropriate course of action. We are also coordinating with our District Human Resources department regarding next steps.”
Central Coast Section commissioner Dave Grissom is reportedly mulling further disciplinary action.
