Burrell football coach ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct says he was defending his players

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — The Burrell High School football coach was kicked out of a playoff game before halftime last week for unsportsmanlike conduct.

He tells Channel 11 he was protecting his kids, and that players from Mohawk’s team were calling his team racial slurs.

“I would do it again 100 times to protect our players,” Burrell football coach Shawn Liotta told Channel 11.

He says he has zero regrets about how he handled the situation that unfolded at this past Friday’s football game at Mohawk High School.

He told Channel 11 that Mohawk players were calling the players on his team racial slurs.

“I was right there. We heard it. Myself and my coaches heard the slurs. Numerous players reported it to us. Kids were coming over to us to the sidelines in tears,” he added.

Liotta said that he first looked to the referees to step in.

“I reported it to the game officials on multiple occasions, and said, ‘Please do something about it.’ Our kids reported it to the game officials on multiple occasions. They even gave them specific players that were doing it,” Liotta said.

With 11 seconds left in the half, Liotta said he had enough and went onto the football field to talk to the referees.

“I went out to try to talk to the officials about the situation again,” he said. “They blew me off and said they didn’t hear it. From there, I was ejected from the football game.”

He is also suspended for the first two games of next season. A WPIAL spokesperson said he was ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct and vulgarity.

“It’s about as G-rated a vulgarity as you could possibly have,” Liotta said.

The Mohawk superintendent sent Channel 11 a statement saying, in part, that they don’t believe the slurs were ever said, based on their own internal investigation.

To that, Liotta replied,” Are you calling myself and calling my coaching staff, and 20-some kids that heard the words that we are liars?”

The Mohawk football coach says he does not have a comment at this time. As for Liotta, he plans to appeal the suspension.

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