During week 3 of FNL (Friday night lights), the 5A Kearns Cougars take on the 5A Northridge Knights. In a heated close game, within one score, the Kearns defense takes the field. Hoping they can stop the Knights from scoring one last time.
During the drive #52 Raymond Tongolei, right tackle and defensive end, a 3 year varsity starter, grabs the quarterback’s face mask which causes the ref to throw his flag. But the play continues going until the whistle is blown. So another Kearns player #0 Lione Hola, an inside linebacker and a 2 year varsity starter, tackles the quarterback. Right after Lione hit the ground and the whistle was blown, the player from Northridge tried to hit Lione, which sparked the fight between both teams.
Coach Rickards, the coach for the cougars going on his 11th year at Kearns, explains the situation. “There was a penalty on the play, there was a face mask and a late whistle. We tackled their quarterback, their player saw that and he attacked our player, tried to cheapshot our player, he tried to “spear” him with his helmet. I’m sure our guy didn’t like what happened. They were grabbing helmets and a punch was thrown.” During that punch everything seems to crash down with players getting ejected and suspended.
Coach Rickards is asked if he thinks it puts a bad rep on Kearns and he said, “ I don’t particularly think it puts a bad rep on Kearns no.” The Cougar Claw asked, as a player, do you think this affects his future as a football player? Coach Rickards is saying “Well with that specific player I don’t believe it will take a toll on him at all.”
