Yough forfeits football game to Valley after 3rd quarter fight

By: Paul Guggenheimer
Saturday, October 16, 2021 | 8:25 PM

An alleged late hit inflicted on a Valley High School football wide receiver in the third quarter of Friday night’s nonconference game with Yough led to a brawl and eventual forfeit by the Cougars.

With the Vikings leading 23-6 in the third quarter at New Kensington’s Memorial Stadium, the unnamed receiver took exception to what he felt was a hit after the play ended. A fight broke out and players from both benches got involved.

Valley coach William “Muzzy” Colosimo said he was getting ready to run a play when he looked up and saw the skirmish.

“It happened that quick. My wide receiver, I don’t know if he got pushed, but he ended up on the ground. I think he felt (the hit) was too late and all heck broke loose,” Colosimo said. “It was a total melee. We all ran out and broke it up.

“We looked at the film and (the wide receiver) did not react very well with it.”

Colosimo said there had not been any particularly chippy play during the game to indicate that a fight was about to break out.

“We were playing our best game,” Colosimo said. “We won last week and we had a great week of practice. We were thinking we had a chance to make the playoffs.”

According to Colosimo, it was Yough High School principal Brian Sutherland who made the decision to forfeit the game.

“I didn’t want to cancel it,” he said. “(Sutherland) brought it up and I said no. The officials were looking for direction, and he said he wanted to call it off.”

In a statement sent to the Tribune-Review on Sunday, Sutherland said: “I said I felt what just occurred was unsafe for my students and that I wanted to end the game due to concerns with our players’ safety.”

New Kensington Police Chief Robert Deringer said no arrests were made, but there was a police presence to make sure everyone left the stadium without incident.

Colosimo said the officials stayed and watched the game film to determine which players might be subject to disciplinary action by the WPIAL.

“I don’t know how long the kids will be out, but they were throwing punches and my guess is they’ll suspend them for the rest of the year because we only have two games left.”

When reached by phone Saturday, Yough coach Chris Chunko declined to comment.

For his part, Colosimo said he was “embarrassed” by what transpired.

“It means that we don’t have discipline on our team and that’s the thing we’ve been working for the eight years we’ve been here,” said Colosimo, who’s also a candidate for Westmoreland County Clerk of Courts. “It’s very disturbing that you turn your whole team around and then you have to be involved in a melee like that. It’s a horrible thing. You don’t want to be part of it.

“I mean I’m 70 years old, and that’s the last thing I want sticking with me and my career.”

Valley (2-6, 1-3) will play Class 3A Allegheny Seven Conference games the next two weeks, hosting East Allegheny on Friday and playing at Burrell on Oct. 29.

Yough (0-8, 0-4) has Class 3A Interstate Conference games remaining against Brownsville next Friday and at Elizabeth Forward on Oct. 29.

Editor’s note: This story was updated with a statement from Yough principal Brian Sutherland on Sunday.

Tags: Valley, Yough