HS Football Player Suspended for Slamming Opponent

Sevier County will be without a player for its next game after he was ejected from Friday's game against Gibbs.

Defensive end Jeffrey Bersch picked up a Gibbs player and pile drove him into the ground. He was ejected for the action, and that ejection carries an automatic one-game suspension.

TSSAA assistant executive director Matthew Gillespie said the organization might review video of a fight and hand down additional discipline, but didn't see that being the case in this instance.

"We can't ask people to play a violent game and not expect them to go overboard sometimes," Gibbs athletic director Jeff Thomas said. "We're lucky that our player didn't get hurt, and that boy is going to pay for his actions by sitting out a game."

Sevier County coach Tony Linginfelter said previously his team will follow TSSAA policy.

Thomas, who declined to identify the Gibbs player, said the school officials as well as coaches and players have moved on.

The player landed on his hip and "bounced up and played the rest of the game," Thomas said. He said this was just "two players who got locked up and one went too far."

This really just happened at the Sevier County/Gibbs High School football game in TN tonight! Are we in the WWE or High School football??? pic.twitter.com/EtwenPQWXT

— Jonathan Crompton (@jcromp8) September 30, 2017

Read More of Today's AB Headlines

Subscribe to Our Daily E-Newsletter