A 63-0 victory wasn't enough to save one Oregon high school football coach's job — in fact, it might be the reason he lost it.
Marist Catholic High School in Eugene, Oregon, fired head football coach Zach Loboy following the Spartans' dominant win over Cottage Grove on Friday, Oct. 9 — a game that was called at halftime after Marist built an insurmountable lead.
The news was first reported by Mid Major Media and later confirmed by the Eugene Register-Guard, part of the USA TODAY Network.
According to NFHS Network footage, Marist opted to go with an onside kick up 56-0 with 1:47 to play in the first half. Cottage Grove, according to the footage, had what amounted to be 16 total players suited up for the contest. After failing to recover the onside kick,
Marist picked off a pass and scored again with under 30 seconds to play to go up 63-0.
Marist Catholic athletic director Rick Gardner informed parents of Loboy's dismissal in an email following the game, saying the decision was effective immediately.
"What happened there is really not reflective of the school's mission and how we want to treat our opponents," Gardner told the Register-Guard. "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."
The second half of the game was not played. A meeting between Gardner, Cottage Grove athletic director Garrett Bridgens and Lane County Football Association commissioner Mike Whitty resulted in the game being called.
"It wasn't a forfeit; it wasn't that our coaches and players did not want to continue," Bridgens told the Register-Guard. "We were working in the best interest of our kids, our fans — the entire situation — to do what was best for everyone."
Jake Lowther, who began the season as Marist Catholic's offensive line coach, has been named interim head coach. Lowther previously served as an assistant at Cascade High School in Turner, Oregon.
Marist Catholic, which captured the Oregon Class 4A state championship in 2024, is 3-3 overall and 2-1 in Sky-Em League play. The Spartans are scheduled to visit North Bend on Friday, Oct. 16.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @AlexMartinUSAT or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How a 63-0 win cost an Oregon high school football coach his job
