A high school football coach in Arizona accused the referee of being drunk during the game on Friday. He claims the official smelled like liquor and failed to perform at his job.
The Arizona Interscholastic Association has yet to make a statement on the allegations.
I am unable to verify these specific claims myself because I was not in attendance at the game. However, I do not think a high school football coach would lie about such a serious matter.
Valley Vista High School lost on Friday.
Valley Vista High Schools is located in Surprise, Arizona— approximately 30 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix. It enrolls 2,200+ students in Grades 9-12.
The Monsoon competes on the Division 6A level of Arizona high school football competition.
Marcus Coffey currently serves as the wide receivers coach for his alma mater. His top receiver, Joseph Watts-diver averaged more than 100 yards per game this season per MaxPreps but the offense still struggled to score enough points to keep up with its opponents.
Valley Vista finished at 1-9 by a combined score of 461-159. It lost 21-6 to Cesar Chavez to end the regular season.
Was the Arizona high school football referee drunk?
According to Coffey, the line judge at Friday’s game was noticeably intoxicated. He said the official “smelt like liquor” and “actually had no clue what was going on all night.”
Coffey did not provide any details of the alleged incompetence to backup his claims. Nor could I find any information about the amount of penalties called during the game.
However, I do not think Coffey would reference the smell of alcohol if was not strong enough to pick up on from the sideline. He isn’t just ~making this up~ for the sake of clout on TikTok.
As of this writing, the Arizona Interscholastic Association has yet to address these allegations. It may not even be aware of the video. I would assume an investigation is imminent as soon as the administrators receive this information. The official should not be allowed to continue if what Coffey said is true, especially with the playoffs set to begin later this week.