A Mount San Antonio College football player said he didn’t intend to punch a football referee Saturday night at Ventura College.
Advertisement
According to the Mt. San Antonio College athletics website, Schirmer is a freshman offensive lineman from Lakewood High School.
“I was on the bench talking and I heard everyone going insane so I jumped up and saw (the official) on the ground”, Ventura College quarterback Jake Luton told the Ventura County Star. After interviewing witnesses and conferring with Ventura College President Greg Gillespie, officers took Schirmer into custody, police said.
But we haven’t seen anything like this, in a game between California junior colleges.
It’s unclear what will happen with either Schirmer or the official at the moment, but striking an official is punishable by a five-year ban according to the California Community College Athletic Association bylaws.
Schirmer was released from jail Sunday morning.
“I saw when he hit his own helmet”, says Bruton, “there wasn’t even no, like the way the video makes it seem he punched him, but he did not punch him”.
Video streaming live from the game showed the line judge falling to the ground.
Game footage shows the ref get flattened by a punch after preventing Schirmer from confronting defensive players between plays.
Advertisement
The decision to suspend the player was made after viewing video of the incident and reviewing a report provided by the head referee, Sartoris said. He was then transferred to Ventura County jail, Sgt. Mike Pallotto of the Ventura College Police Department told the paper.
