LA VERNE, Calif. – A football coach at Damien High School was on leave Sunday after a player from Bishop Amat High filed a report with the La Verne Police Department alleging two coaches on the Damien staff battered him during a postgame fracas.
Jesse Ramos, the father of Bishop Amat senior running back Aiden Ramos, told the Southern California Newspaper Group his son filed an incident report with the La Verne Police Department on Friday night, alleging two coaches left him with a bruise under his left eye.
The elder Ramos provided pictures of his son’s face to the group, showing a small bruise under his son’s eye, which he said was a result of the altercation.
Bishop Amat and Damien getting nasty afterward, and it started with Amat coach Steve Hagerty not shaking Damien coach Matt Bechtel’s hands, accusing Bechtel of slapping his hands last year. Hagerty refused to talk after and took his team out without answering questions pic.twitter.com/WeEBlUyagG
— Fred J. Robledo 👨🏻💻 (@SGVNSports) September 24, 2022
The department issued a news release Saturday announcing it is investigating the battery report, at least one of the subjects involved is a Damien football coach and no further details were available.
According to his son, Jesse Ramos told SCNG words were exchanged and a coach grabbed his son’s shoulder pads and ripped his helmet off.
“There was also another coach involved, but all the details will come out,” Jesse Ramos told SCNG.
The Archdiocese of Los Angeles, which oversees both schools, issued a statement Saturday saying “the person named in the report has been placed on leave pending the result of the investigation by the police department and the archdiocese.”
The archdiocese said it has also begun an internal investigation into the matter.
“The Department of Catholic Schools of the archdiocese is working with both high schools and fully cooperating with the police department as the matter is investigated,” the statement said. “We appreciate your patience and understanding during this time as the matter is addressed according to archdiocesean policy and the Christian values of our Catholic schools.”
The coach’s name was not released.
SCNG reported Bishop Amat coach Steve Hagerty refused to shake Damien coach Matt Bechtel’s hand following Bishop Amat’s 35-7 victory at Damien Friday night. Bechtel appeared to confront Hagerty about it as players were continuing to shake hands.
A few moments later, players from both teams began shoving and some coaches were in the middle of it, according to the SCNG.
Bechtel told SCNG he could not comment. Hagerty “refused to talk after and took his team out without answering questions,” Fred J. Robledo, a local sports editor for the Southern California Newspaper Group tweeted early Saturday.
