Justice for Marco and HS football

Our family was recently interviewed by Fox 9, the below link is all the footage. 
https://w3.cdn.anvato.net/player/prod/anvload.html?key=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%3D%3D#amp=1 

My son is a senior and captain on his high school football team in Mn.  Did you know that there is no way to appeal a bad call/ejection in high school football?! On  Wednesday night last week my son was ejected from the  football game due to a bad call on the field. He has been suspended for 4 1/2 games. We  are in  the playoffs starting Friday. We are fighting this decision through the courts because this is the only way to do so, since the MSHSL refuses to legislate themselves or their officials. Everyone makes mistakes officials included, and there is NO appeal system and there can be no over turning of a decision  made by them, even if it is wrong as in my son's case. My son is an above an average student, he is captain of both the football and wrestling teams.  He is a good, well round kid, and has worked very hard to get where he is at. He does not deserve to have the end of his senior year taken away by a bad call. Needless to say we need some help for attorney fees and are asking for your contribution not only for Marco but for those high school athletes that will come  after him. This is the letter my husband and I sent to MSHSL. 


Dear Mr. Martens:


We are writing to you on behalf of our son, Marco Cavallaro.  Marco is a senior football player at East Ridge High School in Woodbury.  On October 18, 2018, Marco received notice of a four-game suspension from your office.  The purported basis for this suspension was a targeting penalty during the East Ridge/Centennial High School football game held on October 17.  We have obtained video evidence of the play and the incident report. The call was clearly incorrect and, as a result, the suspension is arbitrary and capricious.  We are requesting that the suspension be overturned immediately.

In middle of the third quarter, Centennial’s quarterback (“the opposing player”) dropped back to pass and was intercepted by an East Ridge player.  During the return, Marco cleanly blocked the opposing player as the opposing player was in pursuit of the intercepting ball carrier. Despite the fact that Marco clearly hit the opposing player with his shoulder to the opposing player’s chest, Marco was flagged for a targeting penalty.  To make matters worse, the referee also ejected Marco for the penalty—the harshest consequence possible.

The ejection has resulted in Marco being suspended for the next four games.  This severe punishment has the chance to effectively end Marco’s high school career and jeopardize his college recruitment.  To be sure, there is no remedy for the harms that our son currently faces.

Worst of all, the penalty that has triggered this irreparable domino effect is undermined by a simple comparison of the referee’s incident report and the video of the play.  Video of the play can be seen at: https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7975124/5bc814845ca99a0d2052e5f8.  A copy of the incident report is attached hereto for your review as well.


The incident report provides that:

At the end of a short East Ridge interception return East Ridge player #91 made an unnecessary, excessive targeting hit on a Centennial player.  Centennial player was already on/near ground, defenseless and not in the vicinity of intercepting player action.

The incident report underscores how incorrect the referee’s call was in no less than three aspects.  First, the report states that the opposing player was not in the vicinity of the play. As the video clearly shows, the opposing player was pursing the East Ridge player returning the interception.  The referee was wrong.

Second, the incident report also incorrectly states that Marco made “unnecessary, excessive” contact with the “defenseless” opposing player.  The Minnesota State High School Football League Rulebook defines targeting as: (1) “illegal helmet contact” by an initiating player through “butt blocking,” “face tackling,” or “spearing”; or (2) “an act by any player who takes aim and initiates contact against an opponent above the shoulders with the helmet, forearm, hand, fist, elbow, or shoulders.”  (Emphasis added.) Neither definition applies here. The video clearly shows Marco using his shoulder to block the opposing player in the chest:



Because Marco did not use his helmet to hit the opposing player, nor hit the opposing player above the shoulders, the hit was not “targeting” under the rules.  The referee was wrong here, again.

But worst of all, the incident report incorrectly states that Marco hit the opposing player as he was “already on/near the ground” and “defenseless.”  As depicted above, video evidence unmistakably shows that the opposing player was upright and pursing the intercepting player at the time of Marco’s block.  The referee seems to have fabricated this part of his incident report.

As mentioned above, the harm that this unwarranted suspension is posing to our son is irreversible.  While the block sent the opposing player to the ground, it was unquestionably a clean hit and should not have been penalized as targeting—let alone resulted in an ejection and ensuing suspension.  As a senior pursuing opportunities to play at the next level, this suspension threatens to end Marco’s high school career, jeopardize his college recruitment, and cost him athletic scholarships. These are extreme consequences for a clean play.

We are asking the state high school league to overturn Marco’s current suspension.  We believe that after a review of the incident report and the video evidence, you will agree with our conclusion that the targeting penalty and resulting suspension are unwarranted.  Please reach the right conclusion so that our son may finish his high school career with his teammates on the field.

Unfortunately, time is of the essence with Marco and East Ridge’s next game scheduled for this Friday.  Accordingly, we respectfully ask that you confirm by the end of the day today on Tuesday, October 23, that the suspension will be overturned.  Otherwise, we will be forced to pursue legal action to ensure Mr. Cavallaro will be able to play on Friday.

Thank you for your time and consideration,



Chris and Amanda Cavallaro





https://www.hudl.com/video/3/7975124/5bc814845ca99a0d2052e5f8