Spring Grove football player who attacked referee takes plea to keep college hopes alive

Jack Panyard, York Daily Record
·2 min read
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Former Spring Grove football player Tyree Brooks, pictured in a 2021 photo, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of simple assault for tackling a referee after getting ejected from a game for unsportsmanlike conduct.

A former Spring Grove football player who was charged with attacking a referee in an October 2021 game has entered an open plea to a second degree misdemeanor simple assault charge.

Tyree Brooks, 20, entered a plea on Monday with his defense attorney, George Marros, before Common Pleas Judge Harry M. Ness to one of three charges.

The other two counts of aggravated assault, a second degree felony, and assault on a sports official, a first degree misdemeanor, were dismissed.

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Marros said Brooks is currently enrolled at Lackawanna College online, and is unable to attend on campus due to the pending litigation. They hope entering the plea expedites the process of getting him to attend in person.

Marros expressed frustration at the plea over how difficult it was to find a court-approved outlet to get Brooks a mental evaluation for the scheduled trial. He mentioned trying to get someone into the system now would likely take more than six months.

"We’re trying to reach a resolution that won’t destroy his future," Marros said.

"The resolution won’t destroy his future, it is his behavior that will destroy his future," Ness said in response.

Brooks was initially charged in 2021 when he rushed onto the field from the sideline and attacked a referee at the end of a football game between Spring Grove and Dover.

Brooks had been ejected in the third quarter with two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties and did not make another appearance with the team after. The official sustained a 2-inch cut on his head from Brooks.

Brooks entering an open plea means he will undergo an evaluation from probation offices, with findings presented to Ness. The judge will then adhere to sentencing guidelines to determine Brooks' penalty.

Brooks is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 20.

Jack Panyard is a reporter at the York Daily Record, part of the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at jpanyard@ydr.com, 717-850-5935 or on Twitter @JackPanyard.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Tyree Brooks Spring Grove referee attack enters plea to get to college