Jaxson Bergman, a high school soccer player for Rapid City Central in South Dakota, shoved opponent Kyler Soost to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked him in the head during a match on Friday. The attack was captured on video and prompted shock on social media, with viewers demanding a lifetime ban.
The altercation occurred just minutes before halftime during a game between the Brookings High School Bobcats and the Rapid City Central Cobblers in Brookings. High school soccer is a major fall sport in South Dakota, with teams competing under the state's athletic association guidelines.
With 3:48 remaining in the first half, a pass was played down the left side of the pitch. Soost and Bergman engaged in a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge as they chased the ball down.
Bergman came off worse in the physical challenge and slipped. He then got up, chased Soost off the ball, and shoved him to the turf with two hands in a blatant foul.
Bergman continued the attack by running over to Soost and kicking him in the back of the head. As Soost writhed in pain on the ground, Bergman stood over his rival and delivered five punches to his head.
The referee and coaches sprinted onto the field to stop the attack. One of Soost's Brookings teammates, Caylon Peters, then sprinted into the frame from out of the camera shot and began delivering punches of his own to Bergman.
Once the players were separated, a coach escorted Bergman away from the field. He did not return to the match. One fan watching the game could be heard on the footage saying, "That is assault."
Ten minute suspension
The match was suspended for 10 minutes as referees worked to regain control of the situation and restore order. Following the stoppage, the game resumed and the Brookings Bobcats ultimately secured a 2-0 victory over the Cobblers.
The Daily Mail reported it had contacted Rapid City Central High School, Rapid City Area Schools, and Brookings High School for comment on the incident. Both Rapid City and Brookings operate large public high schools that compete against each other in statewide athletic competitions.
Footage of the on-field violence quickly circulated online, leaving viewers furious and calling for severe consequences. Social media users expressed disgust at the violence and demanded that Bergman face permanent exclusion from the sport.
Calls for lifetime ban
"Kicked him on the back of the head," one shocked viewer wrote. "Genuinely ban that kid from playing."
Another user commented, "That is disgusting doing that, I agree, hope that is a lifetime ban." A third person added, "That kid in the white jersey should not ever play at his school again. What a loser."
Other users called for legal action over the incident, arguing the foul crossed the line into criminal behaviour. "Banned for life. End of story," one viewer declared.
"Banned for life and get the police involved," another viewer wrote. "This kid needs time in a box to think about his life."
Some observers questioned the decision to finish the match after such a severe altercation. "How the coaches let the game resume is beyond me," one viewer stated. "Not a chance my team is going back out there."
