Suffolk County Police are investigating a report that a Commack High School assistant football coach hurled a helmet that struck a 16-year-old player in the face during an afternoon practice on Wednesday, August 26. The teen's parents rushed him to the hospital, where he received three stitches under his right eye after the helmet's facemask cut his skin, according to the family.
The player's father, Cary Werner, said his son was put at risk by a volunteer who was not a certified coach or trainer, as reported by BroBible. According to the parents, the assistant coach hurled a helmet toward a seated player on a bench, and it struck their son's face as he stood up. The Commack School District Board had appointed the assistant coach as a volunteer, and the parents say he does not work directly for the district and is the head coach's son.
The player's mother, Laura Werner, said her son had played football since age 7 without previous issues. She said the coach threw the helmet overhand and very hard, and told reporters the incident must not happen again.
What Witnesses Saw, and What They Didn't
Several football players said they saw the helmet toss, though they could not determine whether the coach intended to throw it at the player, per the New York Post account cited by BroBible. That uncertainty over intent does not necessarily shield the coach from criminal exposure. Under New York Penal Law § 120.00(2), recklessly causing physical injury to another person constitutes Assault in the Third Degree, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail, according to the New York State Senate's codified statutes. Separately, Penal Law § 120.20 defines Reckless Endangerment in the Second Degree as recklessly creating a substantial risk of serious physical injury, a Class A misdemeanor that does not require prosecutors to prove intent to harm.
As of Monday, Suffolk County Police had made no arrests and had not named either the coach or the player, nor disclosed further details about the incident. Police say they will determine the circumstances surrounding what happened during practice.
Volunteer Coaching Rules Under Scrutiny
The Commack School District said it takes seriously concerns about students' safety and well-being and is collaborating with Suffolk County Police on the matter, the family's account noted. New York State Education Department regulations require volunteer high school athletic coaches to meet the same standards as paid coaches, including fingerprint background clearance through the state TEACH system, CPR/AED and First Aid certifications, child abuse and school violence prevention workshops, DASA training, and concussion management certification, per guidance published by New York State Education Department resources. Whether the assistant coach in question had completed those requirements before the season began has not been addressed publicly.
According to the parents, doctors deemed an evaluation for a potential concussion necessary after the incident. New York's Concussion Management and Awareness Act mandates that any student-athlete suspected of sustaining a concussion during play or practice be immediately removed from activity and barred from returning until evaluated and cleared in writing by a licensed physician.
A Communication Gap With Section XI
The incident happened just nine days after Section XI, the governing body for interscholastic athletics in Suffolk County, officially opened its fall 2026 high school football practice season on August 17. It also came while Commack was preparing for its varsity opener, scheduled for September 10 against Copiague High School. Commack competes in Section XI Class I, the largest enrollment classification for public high school athletics in Suffolk County.
Section XI athletic directors and officials said in late August that they had not received independent administrative reports or official notifications from the Commack School District regarding the practice incident, according to Greater Long Island. That gap surfaces amid broader unease around Suffolk County high school football this preseason: two other local districts, Amityville and Port Jefferson, cancelled their varsity football seasons entirely this August over participation and safety concerns as teams across the region began preseason drills.
No charges have been filed, and Suffolk County Police have not said whether they intend to pursue misdemeanor charges under Article 120 of the state penal code. The Commack School District has not detailed what, if any, internal action it has taken regarding the head coach or the assistant coach involved.
