Katella Softball Coach Fired

Katella High has fired softball Coach Rhonda Weyer, who pushed an athlete from Esperanza during a game last week.

Weyer, a walk-on, had coached the Knights eight seasons. Athletic Director Linda Whitney will coach the team, which is winless in the Empire League this season, in its final game today.

“We are very distressed, embarrassed and regret the incident,” Katella Principal Jerry Glenn said Wednesday.

Glenn said a videotape of the incident showed that Weyer did not knock down umpire Mike Callahan, as Callahan alleged in his report to the Southern Section office. “Everyone was standing on their feet except our player, who was laying on the plate,” Glenn said. “Again, we regret this incident. It’s not the kind of sportsmanship we expect from all of our athletes and coaches.”

Weyer was ejected from Thursday’s Esperanza-Katella game after a play at home. Esperanza catcher Julia Cappelli dived to tag Mendy Van Son, who was sliding home. Weyer rushed to Van Son’s aid, pushing aside Callahan and then Cappelli.

“I really don’t want to comment,” Weyer said. “There was no intent of harming anyone. I was just going to my player’s aid.”

Callahan said Monday by telephone from Philadelphia that he did not eject Weyer for the contact with him: “It was a flash. I got pushed. I bumped into people. As far as I’m concerned, I fell down. If the videotape shows that I didn’t fall down, then I didn’t. But I was pushed hard from the rear and made contact with the players in front of me. I certainly didn’t eject her for what she did to me.”