A high school football coach was fired just days after coaching his team to a 63-0 victory against an opponent.
Zach Loboy was the Head Coach of Marist Catholic School’s football team. The school in Eugene, Oregon, faced off against Cottage Grove on October 9. Loboy’s team were already winning 56-0, with 1:47 left to play in the first half, when he and his team made the decision to go with an onside kick.
An onside kick is a play usually used late in a game by a trailing team that needs to retain possession to mount a comeback.
The game was called off at half-time
At halftime, a meeting took place between Marist Catholic athletic director Rick Gardner, Cottage Grove athletic director Garrett Bridgens, and Lane County Football Association commissioner Mike Whitty. They elected to call the game early.
Bridgens said it was in “the best interest of our kids, our fans,” with Gardner informing parents via an email that Loboy had been dismissed following the game, effective immediately.
“What happened there is really not reflective of the school’s mission and how we want to treat our opponents,” said Gardner, as per USA Today. “Our athletic program tries to adhere to the mission and the values of Marist Catholic High School. In this particular case, we definitely fell short.”
Loboy has been replaced by Jake Lowther, who began the season as Marist Catholic’s offensive line coach, and will now serve as interim coach. Marist Catholic, who won the Oregon Class 4A state championship back in 2024, are 3-3 overall and 2-1 in Sky-Em League play.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
