YAFL brouhaha under investigation

Incident involved game official, coach, fans and players

The season is over for an Albuquerque Young America Football League team that was involved in an altercation during a recent game. A police investigation, however, is ongoing.

The incident occurred during a varsity-level (age 13) game between Rio Grande and Atrisco teams at Mesa del Sol Football Fields in southeast Albuquerque on Sept. 22. It started with an argument between a sideline official and a Rio Grande coach, later escalating into a physical altercation that resulted in the official and another adult being slammed to the ground.

YAFL officials last week canceled the remainder of the Rio Grande team’s season, and Bernalillo County Sheriff’s officers are investigating the incident. They have reviewed cell phone video of the altercation and have received witness statements from the game official involved and other witnesses, including the mother of a Rio Grande player who says the official struck her son in the face.

According to police reports, the incident began when the official, identified as Will Scott, repeatedly warned Rio Grande coaches to keep players and coaches out of a sideline running lane reserved for officials and eventually penalized them for “sideline violations.” A verbal argument between Scott and a Rio Grande coach ensued and became heated.

At that point, the reports say, some Rio Grande players attempted to get between Scott and the coach to break up the argument, with one player putting his hands on Scott’s arms to restrain him. Scott’s statement says he “removed the juvenile’s hands from his arms” and was then “rushed by multiple people.” Scott added that he grabbed the person closest to him and both “went to the ground.”

He reported multiple people throwing punches but said none made contact. Scott said he also received verbal threats while leaving the area.

Witness statements filed by Joylynn Duran, the mother of a player who attempted to restrain Scott, along with another witness, Crystal Garcia, said the official struck the player in the face as he tried to avoid being restrained. The player’s name is redacted and other adults involved in the incident are not identified in the accounts.

Derick Ortiz, whose son plays for the Rio Grande team, said the person who tackled Scott was not a team parent and said other parents attending the game did not recognize him. Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Felicia Maggard said the department is conducting an “investigation on all allegations” and is attempting to

identify the person seen on video tackling Scott. Aggravated battery upon a sports official is classified as a fourth degree felony in New Mexico and carries a maximum sentence of 18 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.

YAFL officials are cooperating with the BCSO investigation after taking the unusual step of canceling a team’s season. The league’s code of conduct states that physical abuse of an official by a coach or parent will result in a oneyear suspension.

New Mexico YAFL president Chad Whitaker said incidents involving numerous coaches and spectators are rare but felt this altercation merited a stiff penalty.

“This kind of conduct is unacceptable,” Whitaker said. “We needed to show we won’t tolerate it now or in the future.”

Ortiz and other Rio Grande parents do not believe the entire team should have suspended but their appeal to YAFL’s board of directors was denied. Ortiz said Scott appeared “agitated and angry” early in the contest and said Rio Grande coaches and parents asked YAFL officials on site to have him replaced.

“They told us they couldn’t replace him because they’re shorthanded,” Ortiz said, “but I feel like the official was part of why everything escalated.”

Like the New Mexico Activities Association, which governs high school athletics in the state, YAFL is experiencing a shortage of football officials, Whitaker said. YAFL recruits and trains its own officials and is not associated with the NMAA.

“Officials are a dying breed,” Whitaker said. “We’re short now and it’s hard to find new people who want to do it. That’s why we had to take a hard stand on this situation.”

Ortiz said Rio Grande parents do not condone the attack on Scott but feel the players are being unfairly punished.

“We know there’s a code of conduct and I can understand the coaches or even players who made contact with the official being suspended,” Ortiz said. “But this is not a bad team. We don’t feel the kids deserve the punishment.”