Investigation Launched After Punches Thrown During Local College Football Game
WASHINGTON, Pa. (KDKA) -- It was a routine kickoff but what came next was anything but typical.
The Westminster Titans sent the ball down field to Washington and Jefferson last Saturday and aggressive pursuit brought the return specialist down inside the ten yard line.
That's when the fireworks began.
Pursuing the play down the left side Westminster running back Isaiah Faulk angled to his right towards the runner when as the play ended he was pushed in the back and to the turn on his face.
It's unclear who did the pushing but Faulk took exception and hopped to his feet and into the face of W&J defensive back Zak Dickey.
Grabbing Dickey in a bear hug and throwing him to the ground with Faulk on top.
A video of the play clearly shows Faulk prying up Dickey's helmet and landing two very swift blows to the right side of the D-back's jaw and face.
Another W&J player did a flying tackle to dislodge Faulk from his teammate and everyone got into the act of separating the combatants.
"I've been in this game a very long time," says W&J Head Coach Mike Sirianni, "and that was the most vicious, atrocious thing I've ever seen on a football field."
President's Athletic Conference Commissioner Joe Onderko could hardly believe what he watched on tape later, "Like everyone else I was shocked by it and recognized we had a very serious incident on our hands."
Faulk was ejected from the game and Dickey was taken to the hospital where x-rays revealed no broken bones. Sirianni says, "he's fine, a little shaken, but he's okay."
Commissioner Onderko says football is an emotional game but disagrees with those who say this is just football emotions in action. "I would dispute that . I would say that's not a part of football." The PAC he says has a very specific progression of disciplinary review and action which has barely started in this case. Onderko says, "I'm not like Roger Goodell, I have a committee I work with to review these things and come to a decision on how to proceed."
He says there is no time table for action.
Meanwhile at Westminster the school issued a statement today saying, "The review of Saturday's incident during the W&J football game has been addressed internally and the resulting disciplinary action will be handled privately."
The college declined to comment on Faulk's football status, but his profile which was on the football teams roster page this morning has now been removed.
Coach Sirianni says Zak Dickey is trying to decide whether to seek criminal assault charges against Faulk.
The Washington County District Attorney declined comment on the incident siting the possibility of having to prosecute the case.
