Fair / 74° F
Archived Story
Investigators expect to charge parent in locker room brawl
Published 12:41am Saturday, September 1, 2012A parent of a Goshen football player could be facing assault charges after a Thursday night altercation that sent one coach to the hospital.
The incident between the coach and the father of a player occurred after the football team’s loss to Pike County High School Thursday night, according to the Pike County Sheriff’s Department.
Sgt. Sam Mallory, who is taking part in the investigation, said there was a disruption in the Goshen locker room following the game when a man entered the field house and allegedly assaulted the coach.
“There are still quite a few kids we need to talk to,” Mallory told The Messenger. “We believe assault charges are coming sometime next week.”
Mallory said it appears one of the players was being disruptive after Goshen’s 20-11 loss to Pike County in the team’s first game of the season. Coaches and other players attempted to ease the situation when things got out of hand.
“A male parent rushed inside the field house and started punching one of the coaches,” Mallory said, adding that the coach was treated for minor injuries at Troy Regional Medical Center and was released later Thursday night.
Another coach was present during the scuffle, but was uninjured, according to Mallory.
Goshen Principal Dr. Warren Weeks said Friday that the school is cooperating with the ongoing investigation, but changes to game day policies and procedures are already being planned.
“We are not going to tolerate anything like this happening,” Weeks said. “We are looking at the way we do things. Changes will take place to public access locations and some of our traditions.”
Weeks mentioned restricting parents from coming onto the field after games as is customary for many high schools.
Mallory said 46 students were in or near the field house at the time of the incident and Weeks says he expects to talk to 50 or more witnesses before the investigation concludes. According to Weeks, two of the players that were involved in the incident did not come to school on Friday.
Weeks and football head coach Bart Snyder were scheduled to meet with Pike County School’s Superintendent Dr. Mark Bazzell on Friday. Snyder was on the field at the time of the altercation.
“We are doing everything to get to the bottom of what happened,” Weeks said. “We want to make 100 percent sure we get all the information we need before we do anything.”
Robbyn Brooks and Ryan McCollough contributed to this report.
The saddest part of all of this is that it tarnishes the ‘close knit’ family that we all know the town of Goshen to be. Football is such a high octane sport anyway, so tempers flare. We, as parents, need to step back and let the coaches do their jobs. This game may well be the new Pike County Classic, because this was classic alright. I think we can expect behavior like this from the boys, but parents//??!! Go Eagles! Keep ur heads up!
Report comment
I agree with Trojanparents this is going to reflex badly on Goshen but hopefully only on the guilty party. Hope it will be a learning lesson and we all will check our own behavior especially around children.
Report comment
his cannot be tolerated and there is no excuse for action such as this. If th goes un-punished, Sheriff Thomas will have to post a few deputies in the locker room after each game. Not to mention police in other towns will have to do the sameat those games..How Sad.
Report comment
Sorry for typos, “keyboard” is having a bad hair day!
Report comment
Keyboard? Hair? Ewww…
Report comment
The superintendent should make a statement following this matter. Their leader has not made one statement. Was he attending the game when this errupted at the field house? This would never happen at charles henderson. Just to show everyone the difference between the county and city superintendent : city superintendent walks the sidelines at all the games: county superintendent (if he attends at all) sits in the press box playing angry birds on his phone.
Report comment
The Troy Super walks the sidelines because that is why he was hired, to “fix” the football program. Not sure what was wrong with it, but that’s what he’ll tell you.
Report comment
if you aren’t a person of influence in troy he has no use for you. ask some people that work for him, he treats them like crap. he is on a power trip and will stop at nothing to harm county schools as well as plas
Report comment
you need to check your records, it has happened at charles henderson and if need be I can name the two players involved and hugh fountain did nothing to either one of them because of who their parents were.
Report comment
To begin with you want to talk about schools no charles henderson just takes their fights to mcdonald or walmart parking lot. now back to the subject it could have happened anywhere it just so happened in goshen. I WILL HAVE TO SAY MY SON PLAYS FOOTBALL THERE AND I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR OUR COACHES AND MOST OF THE PLAYERS AND THE PARENTS . IF WE AS PARENTS WOULD LET THE COACHES DO THEIR JOB WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THESE PROBLEMS. A LOVING GOSHEN EAGLE PARENT .
Report comment
ask Prattville parents what they think about him.
Report comment
Pauly D is trippin’! PLA has actively and openly recruited, attempted to anyway, players from CHHS and the county schools for years! Ask most athletes if someone from the PLA boosters hasn’t contacted them and offer scholarships, promising they will be STARS at their school. Your comments have no validity. So what if he wants to build up all of the athletic programs?? Its about time someone did! Mr. Hicks is doing a great job. Most of the time, when a person has a vision that we never dreamed would be possible, it is hard to accept. He, along with parents and coaches, are going to make it happen. All that is going on at Troy City Schools is positive. Open enrollment= Tables are turning!
Report comment
How can you say that it wouldn’t happen at Troy? Really? Hicks could be standing there and someone could walk up and punch the person standing right beside him. No one can stop if they don’t see it coming and my understanding is that the Goshen coach did not see it coming. Perhaps Dr. Bazzell has not said anything because it is an ongoing investigation. As a law enforcement family member, I can promise you that they don’t want him to say anything. This is not the time to compare schools, there is no comparison, because they are different. And for that, I thank God. You don’t want everybody to be the same, it would be totally boring. So, please don’t attack our school and put us down, you are not us and you don’t know what is going on. We are a small country school that takes great pride in our people and we will come together and rise above this. Because that is what family does.
Report comment
@trojanparent: my post didn’t mention sports, but since you mentioned recruiting players, maybe you should check out prattvilles history of recruiting players, which was against the rules for public schools. i could care less if chhs, county schools or plas have successful sports programs. i don’t believe that there is anything illegal about plas recruiting players if they so desire. however, as you are focused on sports, you better hope you get that football program rolling soon b/c when you head back to 5a it is back to reality. Well actually they haven’t beaten a 4a team yet this year.
Report comment
Right, right. And, 900 people drank Jim Jones’ Kool-Aid, too.
You just can’t see what is going on for all that smoke Hicks & Co. are blowing up your backside.
Hicks is just an overgrown child and full of bluster. Perhaps the best description of him is,
“…a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”–William Shakespeare, Macbeth Act 5, Scene 5.
Report comment
Tables are turning? I have heard there is an increase in COUNTY school enrollment with new “open” enrollment. I don’t think the city schools can offer near the respectful, family environment that the county schools do.
Report comment
Where are you Melgardner { know dat}
Report comment
“he is on a power trip and will stop at nothing to harm county schools as well as plas”
My comment was in response to this statement. How else, exactly, could he harm the county schools and plas? And why are you focusing so much on CHHS droping from 5A to 4A? Do you think that is just something a school can do in order to better their chances to compete in sports? If I am not mistaken, every school in this county has dropped in their classification over the last 10-15 years. In every sports related post you make, you seem to take a jab at CHHS dropping to 4A, Mr. Hicks, ipads, and anything else you feel the need to criticize them for. If you would focus on “your school” rebuilding and not worry about what is going on at Troy City Schools, you could be much more productive. PLAS is rebuilding this year. There are great athletes there. Everyone needs to quit comparing the schools in this county. They are all unique, they compete at different levels, their students are diverse in many ways, and we should support them ALL! I consider myself very fortunate to have children in the city school system and I wouldn’t have it any other way. And by the way, I don’t give a crap what Prattville parents have to say about anything. Let the man prove or disprove himself! Actions speak louder than word.
Report comment
I agree trojanparents. We should support them all. Each school has it’s good and bad.
The Goshen community has always been a close-knit group. They band together when tragedy hits. It is very much like the Banks community. Small community schools that care about their kids. They want to give their kids the best they can.
This is one reason this incident is such a sad thing. It gives the outside appearance of negativity. You don’t see all of the good things there. We spend so much time looking for reasons to put the other schools in our county down, and we don’t celebrate the positives that come out of each.
Each parent decides the environment they want their kids to attend school in. I wanted my kids to have that warm feeling of community. This is why I opted to send my kids to the county schools.
I am proud to finally have my kids in the county school system. We each have the right to make that choice….now. It does not bother me that others chose to send their kids to Troy City or PLAS. That is the decision that parent makes.
Why does it always have to be my school is better than your school? Why can’t we be proud when ANY school in Pike County does something great? And why do we have to make it a problem with the school when some kids or parent behave inappropriately? Those same kids/parents may transfer to your school next…then what? Is there a problem with your school? Or is it the kids and parents who have not learned that violence is not the answer?
Report comment
I’ve talked to several people who were there. They all say the dad just happened to walk in while his child was being “man handled” by the coach. Had I walked in on an adult being physically aggressive with my child, I would’ve done the same thing. If the whole football team jumped on the coach, then they probably need to be looking at the coach. I know for a fact, some of those teachers/coaches/principals at Goshen have been hitting and cursing kids for as long as they’ve been there. “Children do half of what you say and all of what you do”.
Report comment
It is my understanding that the players jumped in to defend the coach, not gang up on him.
Report comment
First off I think the whole article is about Goshen and NO other schools should be brought into the matter. I have two sons that play on the football team, and one that was in the locker room throughout the whole thing. NO the father didn’t just walk in on his son being “manhandled” as you call. The coach was trying to get him under control because he was acting like a two year old PERIOD. When you are on a team you are with them whether they win or lose, the boy that started the whole thing and I will leave names out of my post is a FRESHMAN who was mad that he wasn’t playing. After the game he went to the circle that they have on the middle of the field and he kept telling the team “they suck” Coach Snyder sent him off the field. After the prayer, the team went to the locker room where the SAME boy came inside making smart remarks to all the players again and said that he quits the team, the coach inside told him they don’t allow quitters in the locker room and told him to leave and he refused. Well….a “relative” of the boy that also plays on the team which I think about four of them call themselves “so-called cousins” grabbed the coach and smashed his face a long the wall and all of them jumped the coach. The “other” coach had to subdue the trouble-maker and the FATHER who is NOT supposed to even be in the locker room decided he was just going to walk in and punch the coach in the face! I don’t care who wants to make excuses for what was done, there is NO excuse for what happened PERIOD!! I am glad that charges will be filed and that the “troublemakers” will no longer be a part of the GOSHEN team and close knit family that we all are. It is terrible that a parent would do what they did, I would’ve put my child straight for the problem that he started! Yes, our team may have lost 6 starters on the line, but in the end our Goshen Eagles will always be winners because this will show that there is a ZERO tolerance for what occurred and no matter how good you are, they won’t put up with you acting like you have no sense at all. Come this Friday when our boys play Luverne, we may not come out with a WIN but I know the boys that are left on the team have enough sense to know that no matter what, they are all winners in our eyes of the GOSHEN EAGLE FAMILY!!
)
Report comment
Amen 4eagles4ever could not agree more
Report comment
Very well said 4ever.I wish the team the best for the rest of the season.
PS and I am not from Goshen.
Report comment
Thanks! And I am not afraid to hide behind my screen name. My boys are the Goshen Kickers and they both do an AWESOME job and will stand behind their team through thick and thin!
Report comment
I completely agree with you 4ever4theEagles and I am grateful for parents like you!
Report comment
I feel like they should get more details on what happened before ANY charges are pressed. They are giving all the details that make the coaches look good. The media doesn’t mention how the coach had this kid JACKED up on the wall like he is his parent or something. When his father walked in the locker room that’s all he saw was his child jacked up on a wall. Tell me how yall would handle that situation???? Instead of the coach saying he was trying to stop an altercation between the players, he continued to swing blows at the parent. He never once explained why he had this mans child up on a wall by his shirt! The ones involved are moving so they should leave the whole situation alone because no one knows what really happened but the people who were involved and everybody has a different story!!
Report comment
Princess,
As I have stated ABOVE, I have TWO boys that play on this football team, ONE who was in the locker room throughout the WHOLE ordeal that witnessed everything. I heard the story from his mouth along with one of his friends who the same boys tried to jump because he walked in on what they were doing. Oh not to mention that they had one of the coaches on the ground as well kicking him in the head and in the back. REALLY??? If the boy that caused the whole thing was up against the wall, think about the reasons why the coach had him against the wall. The sad thing is that some people want to make excuses for this man that punched a coach in his face when in reality….there is NO EXCUSE! Take care of your child that caused the whole thing, he should of been the one that got his bottom tore up by the parent for causing such chaos. My boys have been playing football in Goshen since the Pee Wee league and never have seen such a thing EVER happen. When a parent does such a thing it gives the child the idea that no matter what he does their parent is always going to be there to back them up. If you don’t have a child that plays on the team or was in that locker room when all this happened, then maybe you shouldn’t jump to conclusions yourself. My child shouldn’t of had to witness anything like what he did. My child shouldn’t of almost had to go to the hospital with a asthma attack because of what he witnessed. And why?? All because of ONE child that just wouldn’t leave well enough alone and leave the locker room and GO HOME!!
Report comment
I think that we will get a revolution soon?
Report comment
Most of these comments are insane. Stick to the matter of the story. The story is that a fight broke out in the locker room. I have a child that was in the locker room when the fight broke out. I know what he said and what all his friends that were there said. Not anyone of the kids I talked to said the coach assaulted the kid. My son has been plahying football at Goshen since he was able to play. These coaches, players, and parents give up their time to make sure these kids stay involved in sports and aren’t out getting into trouble. My son worked his butt off to bring up his grades so he was able. He gave up his summer to go sweat in the heat playing a sport that he loves. As for the person that stated the assistant coach was arrested for sexual abuse please get your facts straight before you sling allegations. Because in fact if a coach was arrested for sexual abuse they would be a sex offender and not allowed to teach plus it would be public record. I for one support the Goshen Eagles players and coaches and have no problem with my son going back into the locker room now that the trouble makers are gone!!
Report comment
proudgoshenmom,don’t get your big drawers all tied up over what I wrote. If I misstated the incident, forgive me-please, but I was referring to this incident http://www.troymessenger.com/2011/12/20/former-coach-pleads-guilty-to-sex-with-student/
Report comment
Well, I can see how you misunderstood my comment. I had a reference, but it disappeared. I certainly didn’t mean to imply that the current asst. coach is a child molester-oops.
Report comment
Well, all of the people involved are my cousins and I dont appreciate your negative a** comments like you were in there. Stop trying to act like the coaches at Goshen are perfect because they ARE NOT.!! I am a Goshen graduate and I graduated at the highest rank possible..You do the math! Let somebody jack your a** up one good time and see how you react! BYE!
Report comment
Princess,
You really talk like you graduated a “High” rank. By the way your grammar is and your foul mouth, I can about bet that you were on the bottom of the class ranks.
And nobody cares that they were your cousins and that you went to Goshen. Your point is what? That the guilty parties are no longer there and one got arrested for assault? Just as I stated over and over, NONE of this would have occurred if the little boy left the locker room when he was told to leave before him and his “cousins” decided to jump the coach. END OF STORY! PRINCESS LADY!
Report comment
Oh I forgot, Proudgoshenmom, I am with you behind everything you stated.
Report comment
Lmao wow lady whatever! Im not about to continue to argue with you. I am one of the VERY few AFRICAN AMERICAN VALEDICTORIANS at Goshen. I am surely not hard to find! Don’t dig your hole too deep, I would hate for my whole family to get assault charges because of what you “think you know”. Dismiss yourself please!
Report comment
Mallory said 46 students were in or near the field house at the time of the incident and Weeks says he expects to talk to 50 or more witnesses before the investigation concludes.
I guess all these students lied about what happened.
Report comment
“I am one of the VERY few AFRICAN AMERICAN VALEDICTORIANS at Goshen.”–Princess
So, you are an American citizen who was born in Africa? Or, are you just a plain old American who can’t get past skin color?
“There is no room in this country for hyphenated Americanism. When I refer to hyphenated Americans, I do not refer to naturalized Americans. Some of the very best Americans I have ever known were naturalized Americans, Americans born abroad. But a hyphenated American is not an American at all.”–Teddy Roosevelt, 1915
Report comment
@ 4ever4theEagles I am with you
@ blood yes I am aware of the coach that was arrested and fired for molesting kids. He was fired last school year and has nothing to do with this issue.
Report comment
proudgoshenmom, I am a big Goshen High School supporter too, but it seems that Field House has been the focus of a lot of problems.
Report comment
Ms. Princess,
It’s not what I think “I KNOW” it’s what I KNOW that did happen. And are you coming at me with a threat on a public news thread? Where everyone can see it of which I am quite sure the Troy Messenger has your information from when you signed up, of course if you used your correct name, instead of hiding behind a “screen name.” I for one do not need to hide behind a screen name. I will put only the truth of what happened. Do you Ms. Princess have a child that plays on the football team? If so, was your child in the locker room when all this occurred? And is he one of the FEW that didn’t get kicked off the team because he had NOTHING to do with the whole incident? Hmmm, probably none of the above! I on the other hand, have two boys that is on the team, one AGAIN, I will say that seen the WHOLE thing, and guess what?? He does not need to lie PERIOD. So do not make threats towards me because you don’t like hearing the truth.
May you have a blessed day!
Report comment
4ever4theEagles my son plays football and was in the fieldhouse at the time of te incident and yes i agree with all you have said .
Report comment
Thanks Unicorn.
Report comment
I surely do not have a child that plays but the father of my child was standing right there and his story sure doesnt match up to what you alls children are saying. Everybody is just trying to protect the coach like he was so innocent and didn’t do anything! lol & by the way it wasn’t a threat it was a PROMISE ..Give me your address so I can come tell you in person.. I bet you know me and when you see who I am you’ll be surprised haha..
Report comment
“…but the father of my child…”–Princess
The “gentleman” is not referred to as your husband or even ex-husband, but as, “the father of my child.” That, plus direct threats of violence against another poster reveals a great deal about your morals an upbringing, or lack thereof.
I’m sure everyone from Goshen is proud to have someone like you boasting of being a former valedictorian from there. NOT!
As the saying goes, “You can take the trash out of the trailer park, but you can’t take the trailer park out of the trash.”
Report comment
Omelas would you please STFU because nobody was talking to you lol! Dang would it kill you to find a job or hobby or something. Everytime I read an article on the Messenger you same mf always got something negative to say, find you a job..lol & and I’m far from “TRASH” thats a term given to white people and I’m far from white so get your terminology straight
Please and thank you.
Report comment
Butthurt much?
Trash is trash, whether lilly white or ebony black. It is defined by its lack of value, not by its color.
Report comment
and so the plot thickens..
Report comment
Never pour gas on a fire; it is likely to explode. I like to talk trash too, but I am limited by my conscience, and potentials. One of my grandmother’s favorite sayings were “peace be still”. I don’t see the need to bicker and say a bunch of ugly words. It just describes ones character. Someone is always watching.
Report comment