A Palo Alto High School football assistant coach is facing disciplinary action after a sideline altercation with an opposing player during the Vikings’ game against Sacred Heart Prep last weekend in Atherton.
Jason Fung, the father of Palo Alto quarterback Justin Fung, made contact with a Sacred Heart Prep player after a fourth-down play ended Saturday near Palo Alto’s sideline. In video of the incident reviewed by the Bay Area News Group, Fung can be seen grabbing onto the legs of the SHP player and making what multiple sources described as an attempt to tackle him.
After the play, the Sacred Heart Prep player held up the ball, which had come loose. The video shows Fung attempting to swat away the ball before making contact with the SHP player.
A brief scuffle ensued on the Palo Alto sideline but de-escalated quickly. The game, which was well into the fourth quarter, was ultimately continued after about a 10-minute delay.
Atherton police were called to the school as a precautionary measure, multiple sources said. The police department confirmed its involvement on Tuesday.
In a statement sent to this news organization, Palo Alto coach Dave DeGeronimo said the incident resulted in multiple ejections.
“I am working closely with the Paly administration and league officials to address the situation, and we are taking it seriously,” DeGeronimo said. “As always, the safety and well-being of our student-athletes remain our top priorities.”
Fung declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday afternoon.
Central Coast Section commissioner Dave Grissom said multiple parties involved in the altercation are facing discipline. Numerous coaches and players were ejected from the game in the aftermath of the confrontation.
Grissom noted that when a player or coach is ejected, depending on the severity, the corresponding suspension can stretch anywhere from one to six games.
One source told the Bay Area News Group that one Sacred Heart Prep player has been suspended for this week’s game against Menlo School, though SHP plans to appeal the suspension. The SHP player who has been suspended is not the player contacted by Fung.
At least one Palo Alto player was also ejected, as was Fung.
Sacred Heart Prep declined to comment, citing an ongoing investigation.
In an unsigned statement posted on its school website, Palo Alto High said it is “working closely with the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League and Central Coast Section to fully understand what transpired and to determine the appropriate course of action. We are also coordinating with our District Human Resources department regarding next steps.”
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This is not the first incident involving the Palo Alto football team this season. The Vikings’ game against Menlo-Atherton on Oct. 27 reportedly ended “abruptly” after an altercation stemming from Palo Alto’s attempt to score a garbage-time touchdown.
But Saturday’s incident marked the low point in what has been one of the most challenging seasons in the Palo Alto program’s long and storied history. Palo Alto will finish 0-10 if, as expected, it loses at powerhouse Los Gatos on Thursday.
Palo Alto is the alma mater of Jim Harbaugh and Davante Adams, the latter of whom visited campus last spring. The school had not won fewer than three games in a full season in the MaxPreps era, which began in 2004.
The Vikings have won multiple CCS championships and captured their first state title in 2010, Adams’ senior season, with a 14-0 record. That team was the first in CCS history to win a state football crown.
Bay Area News Group’s Veronica Martinez and Joseph Dycus contributed to this report.
