Officials Look Into Reasons for Fight

Coaches and administrators at Bolsa Grande and La Quinta high schools were shocked and outraged Monday over incidents surrounding a fight that prematurely ended Friday night’s football game between the teams. But neither school was any closer to finding out what started the altercation or who was involved in the incident that began the feud.

Thursday night, Bolsa Grande’s football field and baseball dugouts were vandalized, hours before Friday’s homecoming game against La Quinta.

Bolsa Grande Athletic Director Ron Inman said obscene messages were spray-painted in black on the football field, track and baseball dugouts. “It was real obscene,” Inman said. “I’ve been involved in high school athletics for 30 years and it’s the worst I’ve ever seen. High schools and colleges have their pranks that they do and it’s all in clean fun, but this was sick.”

Garden Grove Police were called and are investigating, but La Quinta football Coach Jeff Veeder said none of his players were involved.

“There’s just things you don’t do,” Veeder said. “I felt like the team was the outsider and they took the brunt of the punishment for this. I think some alumni might be involved.”

Veeder suggested the vandalism might be retaliation for vandalism at La Quinta’s baseball field last year. Veeder said La Quinta’s baseball dugouts were spray-painted last spring, a day after La Quinta lost a baseball game to Bolsa Grande.

Inman said he was not aware of any feud between the schools.

“As far as I know, there’s no grudge,” he said. “It was really a shock to us. Jim Perry [La Quinta’s athletic director] and I get along fine.”

Inman said the hard feelings escalated when La Quinta players ran in front of Bolsa Grande’s bench and shouted obscenities before the game.

Veeder denies his players said anything to Bolsa Grande players before the game, but he admitted one of his players started the fight that ended the game with 3 minutes 16 seconds remaining and Bolsa Grande leading, 53-23.

Veeder claimed Bolsa Grande Coach Earl Graves ran up the score, thus contributing to the fight that got eight Bolsa Grande players and two La Quinta players ejected.

In the blowout victory, Bolsa Grande quarterback Doug Baughman and receiver Ramon Nevarez, set state yardage records and almost set national records. Baughman passed for 569 yards and Nevarez caught eight passes for 380 yards and four touchdowns.

Inman and Graves denied Bolsa Grande was running up the score, but Veeder disagreed.

“I don’t know who [Graves] is trying to kid,” Veeder said. “He had his starters in the game in the fourth quarter.”

La Quinta Principal Jim Monahan said he is trying to find out who is responsible for the vandalism.

“It points to us for sure,” Monahan said. “We’ve taken it very seriously, but there’s no indication that any of our current students are involved. If we find that they are, suspension and even expulsion are possible.”