After being benched during a game, the 17-year-old Willis High School player lost it, according to Montgomery County deputies.
Officials reported on Tuesday that a high school basketball player from Texas, who was unhappy over being benched and perhaps suspended, had beaten his coach severely in the parking lot after the game.
Following their arrest on charges of assaulting a public official, the 17-year-old player and his 22-year-old brother each paid a $20,000 bond and were freed on Wednesday, according to the Montgomery County Jail. Typically, NBC News does not identify kids accused of crimes.
“I never in a million years thought this would happen to me with this particular kid,” Jeremy Clark, the coach at Willis High School, said to NBC News on Tuesday.
The player was pulled from Willis’ game at Conroe High School hours before the alleged Dec. 5 assault, which occurred around 50 miles north of Houston, for arguing with an opponent and referees, according to his coach.
According to Clark, 37, he asked the 17-year-old to calm down, but the youngster aggressively warned his teammates and an assistant coach not to talk to him, which resulted in the benching.
Following Willis’ victory in the away game, the suspect’s mother and brother assaulted the coach with a flurry of expletives.
The third-year head coach stated, “Something could have happened at the opposing team’s school if I didn’t keep my cool.”
The athlete and his brother confronted Clark in the parking lot after the team had returned to school and changed in their locker room, according to the authorities.
The coach claimed that the athlete and his brother began punching each other after they were informed that he would be suspended.
A sheriff’s statement stated that “as they approached the victim, they began a verbal confrontation, which led to (the player) punching the victim in the face.” “At that same time, (the player’s brother) also began assaulting the coach.”
Clark, who claimed to have a strong relationship with the athlete, was taken aback by the alleged assault.
“I’ve had this kid over to my house, I’ve mentored this kid, I’ve reached out to love this kid,” Clark said. “And just because I took a disciplinary action — because I try to run this program with integrity, dignity and respect — you turn on me like that?”
The attack left Clark with a black eye and scratches on his face, neck shoulder and elbow. Clark said he doesn’t regret any of his actions.
“The ruckus you caused at Conroe, the ruckus you’re causing right now, we can’t even enjoy the fact that we just beat a team we haven’t beaten in 15 years, just because you’re pissed off I made a decision to sit your child down,” Clark said.
“I informed him that something necessary would need to occur. It’s a matter of team respect. Everyone other will believe they can get away with this kind of behaviour if I allow one child to get away with it.”
According to a district official on Tuesday, the suspect is no longer enrolled in classes at the Willis Independent School District.
On Tuesday, it was not possible to get in touch with the athlete or his brother right away for comment.
The event did not require Clark to miss a game, and the team’s record thus far this season is 10-5.
