Football coach, athletic director lose after 84-0 win in Northern California high school game
Former NFL player Travis Raciti, a second-year football coach at College Park-Pleasant Hill, and his athletic director have been suspended the last two games of the regular season in the aftermath of an 84-0 victory last week over Ygnacio Valley-Concord, the San Jose Mercury News reported.
According to the report, Mt. Diablo Unified School District Superintendent Adam Clark handed down the decision.
At the crux of the decision was the team going for a 2-point conversion while ahead 47-0 midway through the second quarter.
Raciti, a defensive end who played at San Jose State before three seasons on the practice squads for the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Denver Broncos, has helped turn around a College Park program that went 26-40 from 2014 to the spring of 2021.
Ygnacio Valley coach Rae Jackson told the Mercury News on Saturday: "I truly believe they were trying to put up 100 points, man."
His team (0-8) played with just 19 players, many of them freshmen, according to the report. Jackson's remarks and others went to print on Monday, evidently catching the attention of MDUSD employees and others.
Raciti and College Park athletic director Jim Keck have refuted any attempt to run up the score or embarrass Ygnacio Valley. "This has been a nightmare," Raciti said. "We have a 45-man roster, and we played every single one of those players."
Clark, who said he reviewed tape of the game, told the newspaper: "I don't have a problem with a team being dominant. But don't go for a 2-point conversion when you're ahead 47-0. Don't get excessive celebration penalties. Where is the human side in all of this?"
The 84-point cushion pales to Inglewood's 106-0 victory over Morningside in the Southern Section last season. No actions against coaches were handed down in that case. Inglewood officials apologized for the "poor sportsmanship" in that one and a week later won a Division 2 playoff game.
College Park is scheduled to host Mt. Diablo-Concord tonight and go on the road next week to Alhambra-Martinez. The Falcons are expected to make the North Coast Section playoffs, when Raciti can rejoin the team.
