9 hours ago
13
A high school football game in Florida turned ugly on Friday as a player was bludgeoned with his own helmet during a skirmish with opponents.
The incident took place in the final moments of the Fernandina Beach Pirates’ 48-21 win over the Bell Bulldogs in the Sunshine State Athletic Association’s Atlantic League playoffs.
With Bell running out the clock on their defeat, one of the Bulldogs’ offensive linemen became entangled with a Pirates defender. In the ensuing shoving match, the Bulldogs’ lineman ripped off the Pirates defender’s helmet and then used it to bludgeon the young man to the turf with a single blow.
Daily Mail reached out early Monday to conference officials and local police for an update on the injured player and to inquire about any potential punishment for the other student-athlete.
The incident did draw flags and several Fernandina Beach players ran out to confront the aggressor, but officials maintained the peace and both teams returned to their respective sidelines.
Footage of the incident was shared online by former sportscaster Rachel Baribeau in a since-deleted post. Rohe, whose son plays for the Pirates, wrote that the Bulldogs’ offensive lineman ‘could’ve killed the kid.’
With Bell running out the clock on their defeat with a running play towards the sideline, one of the Bulldogs’ offensive linemen became entangled with a Pirates defender
In the ensuing shoving match, the Bulldogs’ lineman ripped off the Pirates defender’s helmet and then used it to bludgeon the young man to the turf with a single blow
Fernandina Beach (6-5) is moving on to face The Paxon School For Advanced Studies (7-4) on Friday.
The incident was somewhat reminiscent of a 2019 brawl between Cleveland Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Garrett was suspended for the remainder of the season after swinging Rudolph’s helmet as the quarterback’s unprotected head during an on-field skirmish. Later, Garrett claimed Rudolph called him a racial slur, which the Steelers player denied.
'I know what I heard,’ Garrett said in a statement at the time. ‘Whether my opponent's comment was born out of frustration or ignorance, I cannot say. But his actions do not excuse my lack of restraint in the moment, and I truly regret the impact this has had on the league, the Browns and our devoted fans.'
In response, an attorney working on Rudolph’s behalf issued a response: ‘The malicious use of this wild and unfounded allegation is an assault on Mason's integrity which is far worse than the physical assault witnessed on Thursday. This is reckless and shameful. We will have no further comment.'
