Gig Harbor coaches disciplined after Fish Bowl football game. Punch allegation questioned
Several Gig Harbor High School coaches were disciplined and not allowed to coach in the team’s game against Capital, a week after tempers flared at the Fish Bowl rivalry game against Peninsula, multiple sources told The News Tribune.
The coaches were back on the sideline the following week, when Gig Harbor traveled to Lacey to face Timberline.
It’s unclear whether any coaches from the Peninsula High School staff were also disciplined. Peninsula coach and athletic director Ross Filkins declined to comment to The News Tribune. Peninsula School District spokesperson Danielle Chastaine also declined to answer.
“I can’t speak to that,” Chastaine told The News Tribune in a phone call on Thursday, Oct. 5.
The Gig Harbor coaches who were disciplined were notified just hours before their game against Capital on Friday, Sept. 22. They were not allowed to coach in the game.
The Peninsula School District said it was not a suspension, but confirmed the coaches did not coach in the game. When asked what the district would call it, if not a suspension, Chastaine said she couldn’t say.
“For privacy reasons and because it’s still an open investigation, I’m not able to comment on what it is,” Chastaine said. “Suspension and discipline are both inaccurate. Actions were taken. Our full coaching staffs are back at both schools.”
Gig Harbor athletic director Blair Suek and Gig Harbor head football coach Darrin Reeves declined to comment to The News Tribune, as did multiple assistant coaches who were disciplined.
Superintendent Krestin Bahr did not respond to The News Tribune’s request for comment Oct. 5.
School Board President Natalie Wimberley said the board will not comment as the investigation is still ongoing.
Chastaine told The News Tribune an investigation remains ongoing, with several incidents stemming from the Fish Bowl. Tempers from coaches flared after a late hit by a Peninsula player sent Gig Harbor Tides quarterback Koi Calhoun to the hospital with a broken jaw.
Trainers tended to Calhoun while he was down, but approximately 10 minutes passed before on-scene paramedics arrived and began tending to him. They were delayed because they were dealing with an intoxicated student in a porta-potty.
It took approximately 30 minutes to get Calhoun onto a stretcher, through the crowd and off the field, into the ambulance and transported to Tacoma General Hospital. The ambulance couldn’t reach the field due to the massive crowd surrounding the field’s track. The Fish Bowl annually attracts thousands of fans, creating logistical challenges at Roy Anderson Field, which isn’t equipped with enough seating to accommodate crowds of that size.
“The district takes issues of sportsmanship, safety, and community very seriously,” the Peninsula School District said in a statement on Oct. 2. “Moving forward, we will continue to review logistical considerations such as capacity, safety, and security related to Roy Anderson Field.”
The statement did not mention any specifics of which logistical changes would be made in the future.
The statement also said the Peninsula School District has been conducting an “extensive investigation” related to a number of alleged incidents that occurred before, during and after the game.
“Based on information gathered through the investigation to date, responsive actions have been taken to address the conduct of certain individuals, while further measures are being considered and evaluated,” it states. “To protect the privacy of these individuals, no further comment will be made.”
Punches thrown? Sheriff’s spokesperson says it’s unlikely
After the game, Calhoun’s parents, Katie and Mitch, alleged the Peninsula player began punching Calhoun after his helmet came off. They filed a police report with the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department the Sunday following the game and told The News Tribune they were considering legal action.
Pierce County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Sgt. Darren Moss said they haven’t seen any video that shows what happened definitively after the hit, but doesn’t believe punching occurred.
“What was reported by mom does not seem like it’d be realistic,” he said. “The referee was right there.”
Reached via text on Oct. 5, Katie Calhoun commented.
“Koi is getting better every day, but the long-term impacts of his injuries remain to be seen,” she wrote. “Koi understands and has embraced the physical nature of the game, but we have reason to believe that what happened is outside the bounds of what is acceptable in a football game. We also are saddened that the Adults involved have failed to uphold the high ideals of sport: respect for the game and fair play.”
Moss said no charges have been filed.
“At this point, we haven’t seen anything to lead us to believe he was assaulted,” Moss said.
This story was originally published October 6, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
