Desoto County High School Basketball Player Attacks Referee (VIDEO)

In the middle of Desoto County (Fla.) High School's basketball game against Port Charlotte on Monday night, two players engaged in a brief shoving match.

The Desoto player was given a technical foul and ejected from the game. Upset with his ejection, the Desoto player pushed the referee, grabbed him and threw him to the ground.

The game ended in a forfeit to Port Charlotte and according to SWFL Hoops, the player may be facing expulsion.

UPDATE:

The player has been identified as senior Mason Holland. He was reportedly suspended and his coach, Joe Sheridan, said Holland will "never play here again."

Scroll down to watch the video.

WATCH:

Comments

[BigBfromDEC]

12:36 PM on 12/17/2010

Who really needs to be commended in all of this is the referee. I know I probably would have gotten up and taken it to this kid. Well, let me take that back, I would have swung on him when he approached to push me and I sure as hell would not have let him get up on me to sling me down...LOL!

[kevb19]

10:27 AM on 12/17/2010

If this would have been a white player and a black ref everyone in the comments section would have wanted this kid thrown in jail. how can anyone here be making excuses for the player?

[Balzy26]

09:45 AM on 12/16/2010

Florida? Big surprise there.

[CurvedCorner]

05:43 AM on 12/16/2010

The kid is a senior. He may get suspended for the rest of the season as his coach has implied in his statement. Next year he's off to college. Should the suspension carry over?

[rbchilds]

11:29 PM on 12/15/2010

Good sportsmanship went out the window years ago. NFL players dancing around like they hit the lottery when making a routine play. Coaches going out of their way to harm opposing players. NBA players constantly taunting their opponent. NHL players committing felonious assault with immunity. Pro Tennis players acting like a 3 year old throwing a temper tantrum when facing a call they disagree with. Is anyone surprised these actions are spilling over to HS sports? The student is a legal adult (18 yrs. old), he should be charged. Failure to do so sends the message to others that they'll only get a slap on the wrist for not having personal restraint.

[319]

09:54 PM on 12/15/2010

This doesn't surprise me... our culture celebrates the use of violence to solve problems. Our government does it, our law enforcement does it, our entertainment is teeming with it. There are some kids who grow with less than adequate role models and are excused for behavior that used to be unacceptable. It gets worse every generation. Hopefully this incident will demonstrate to this young man that there comes a time when you have to learn to act with civility... or lose your freedom.

[krimekat]

08:44 PM on 12/15/2010

"I got to see the video of it and I was like, that's not me," he said. The 6'5'' junior says he got upset when the ref made a particular call. "I wanted us to win. Everybody wants to win. Everybody wants calls to go their way," Holland said. But when things didn't go his way, the 18-year-old says he just lost it. "I just didn't know how to handle it and I snapped on the ref because he made the call," said Holland.

According to a DeSoto County Sheriff's Office report, Hamm didn't want to see Holland get arrested, but did want to file a report. Holland says he's prepared to face his punishment. He's currently on a 10-day suspension from school - something he says he deserves. The State Attorney's Office will have the final say on whether or not Holland will face charges. But right now, he says he just wants to apologize.

"I apologize to the ref, to the community and apologize to the school and the team players because they looked up to me," he said.

[kickinupdust]

08:07 PM on 12/15/2010

Ah yes, Testosterone. It's so great.

[RarianRakista]

02:10 AM on 12/16/2010

Castration is a solution, we should use it for police as well.

[kickinupdust]

04:42 PM on 12/16/2010

Start with yourself.

[Adamcr]

05:55 PM on 12/15/2010

That was against my school!

[Willbfree1]

05:30 PM on 12/15/2010

Some would say that this situation is the opposite of the NY Jets Assistant Coach situation. Here we see the player attacks a referee, there we saw an Assistant coach in sense attack a player. What in the world is going on in the sports world. What ever happened to professionalism and self-control?

[DHWRD]

04:52 PM on 12/15/2010

Notice the other offical was afraid to step in as he fellow ref got beat on ... evidently this young man has issues that are bigger than basketball ... if he can get those handled then he will probably end up at a jr college and then on to a small college program ... everyone deserves a second chance in life ...

[tqcobb]

04:51 PM on 12/15/2010

not excusing the player BUT has anyone determined if the ref said something...the way the player went after him, I wonder

[LittlePurpleUSA]

07:59 PM on 12/15/2010

By asking if the ref said something to the player you are, in essence, excusing the player.

[tqcobb]

10:04 AM on 12/16/2010

don't agree...in all fairness the question should be asked...sounds like you've pre-determined the player is totally guilty

[kickinupdust]

08:05 PM on 12/15/2010

The ref said something nasty, so the young man had to show him who had the bigger stones. These refs get away with all kinds of junk and hide behind their uniforms. At least he didn't knock the ref out.

[krimekat]

08:30 PM on 12/15/2010

The young man is a Thug - lack of respect for anyone or anything.

[Andman0121]

03:57 PM on 12/16/2010

Im gonna stop you right there and just call you insanely idi0tic. The ref didnt say anything. This is just another thug.

[fishretired]

04:10 PM on 12/15/2010

Glad to see the coach drop him immediately and forever

[ebonhand]

04:06 PM on 12/15/2010

We've probably just seen the beginning of the end for this young man.

[Morgantheaxe]

03:43 PM on 12/15/2010

I don't know the young man, but experience tells me that this is not the typical venue for someones FIRST loss of control. I am betting this is not his first incident. Mom and dad need to help this young man learn to control that temper.

[BigBfromDEC]

12:33 PM on 12/17/2010

I doubt if there is a Dad in the picture - For starters, a dad would have probably been at the game and would have been the first on the floor to jack his son up. The boy has serious anger management issues.