Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, Ore., fired head football coach Zach Loboy following the Spartans' dominant win Oct. 9 over Cottage Grove — a game that was called at halftime after Marist built an insurmountable 63-0 lead.
As reported by USA TODAY, citing previous reports and NFHS Network footage, Marist executed an onside kick with less than two minutes to play in the half and a 56-0 lead. The attempt to recover the kick failed, but Marist intercepted a pass and scored a touchdown before time expired.
Marist Catholic athletic director Rick Gardner informed parents of Loboy's dismissal in an email following the game, saying the decision was effective immediately.
"What happened there is really not reflective of the school's mission and how we want to treat our opponents," Gardner told the Eugene Register-Guard. "Our athletic program tries to adhere to the mission and the values of Marist Catholic High School. In this particular case, we definitely fell short."
Cottage Grove, according to the footage, had what amounted to 16 total players suited up for the contest against Marist, which had won the Oregon Class 4A state championship as recently as 2024.
The second half of the game was not played. A meeting between Gardner, Cottage Grove athletic director Garrett Bridgens and Lane County Football Association commissioner Mike Whitty resulted in the game being called.
"It wasn't a forfeit; it wasn't that our coaches and players did not want to continue," Bridgens told the Register-Guard. "We were working in the best interest of our kids, our fans — the entire situation — to do what was best for everyone."
Marist Catholic, which improved to 3-3 overall, will be led by on an interim basis by offensive line coach Jake Lowther.
