A promising young football player at Northwood High School in Wheaton is out for the season after breaking his hand in a game against Rockville High School Friday night.
Relatives say another player stepped on Julian Furiati on purpose, and they are blaming the Refs for letting the game get out of control.
It happened just ten minutes into the game.
"I made the tackle in the backfield with some other players and I fell down, and then I felt tremendous pressure in my hand."Furiati says.
His mother was in the stands watching, and rushed to her son.
"The play was over, and you see the Rockville player step on Julian's hand twice and walk away," Nancy Castellanos says.
"The Refs didn't do anything, the game continued on. A paramedic who happened to be there, walk with me and Julian to the ambulance at the gate."
After a night at Suburban Hospital, the diagnosis wasn't a good one-- a displaced fracture. Furiati's season is over.
"My primary concern is the Officials, that they pay attention for the safety of our kids," Castellanos says.
Montgomery County Schools Spokesman Dana Tofig said in a statement," we are aware of the accusations and are looking into the concerns some parents have raised..but until we get a chance to looking much deeper into these matters, the school district is unable to provide any more information."
Three Northwood Coaches confirmed the incident and are standing by Furiati and his mother.
A source with intimate knowledge of the team who witnessed the season ending play, but did not want to be identified says,
"Julian is one of the hardest working kids on the team, both on and off the field. It makes me angry that he's lost for the year, because of the selfish act of one student."
As for Furiati, he's already thinking about next season, and that college scholarship
"Hopefully, I'll do good and earn one," he says.
Rockville High School Principal Dr. Debra Munk says she was at the game, and saw a player go down early , but Munk says she was not aware that he was seriously hurt, because he walked off the field under his own power.
She says there was a fight on the last play of the game, but she claims it was handled quickly by the Refs and coaches. Munk says she will be meeting with her football coach Monday morning to talk about all of that.
The Washington District Football Officials Association has been informed of the incident and is investigating.
