BELMONT, NC (WBTV) - Two wrestling coaches have been fired from their coaching jobs in Gaston County after a 10th grade wrestler suffered a broken bone during a practice last week.
According to Gaston County Schools, Jock Smith, the wrestling coach at South Point High School, and John Goodwin, a wrestling coach at Belmont Middle School, have both been fired after a 15-year-old was injured.
Cody Merrill, a 10th grader, suffered a broken collar bone while at wrestling practice on January 18th at the South Point High School.
Merrill told WBTV that Goodwin, who was posing as an assistant wrestling coach and took things too far when the two were wrestling.
"He countered me and threw me," 10th grader Cody Merrill said. "And when he did that, he did it so hard - it tore ligaments in my arm. I landed - he landed on me and broke my collar bone. I heard my collar bone snap. It was the weirdest feeling I have ever had."
According to Merrill, they believed that Goodwin was a coach with the high school, but later discovered that Goodwin was not affiliated with the high school - only the middle school.
"When we inquired of the school the next day," Parent Shane Merrill said. "They had no idea that he was the assistant coach. He is not an assistant coach, never filled out paperwork. It never should have happened."
Jock Smith left Goodwin in charge, WBTV learned.
Goodwin, who was the only coach present during that practice, says he often helps out with the high school team.
The school district says it is policy that only appropriate people should be in practice with students and says Goodwin should not have been left in charge.
Both coaches were dismissed from their jobs on Monday.
Merrill's father said he is sorry that Jock Smith was let go, saying he only blames Goodwin for what happened.
"Common sense says you know what, there's a thing called restraint," the father said. "And there was no restraint used. It was a guy, in my opinion, who is a two-state champ reliving his glory days and this is the result - my son has a broken collar bone."
When WBTV spoke with Goodwin, he said the incident was completely an accident. He says he is sorry for what happened, saying he would not intentionally hurt a student.
He says he is a volunteer firefighter and he only wants to help people not send them to the hospital.
Merrill's dad says accidents do happen, but believes this one could have been prevented. He doesn't want this to happen again.
"When I take my child to practice," he said. "And his mom takes him to practice, we expect there to be some type of supervision."
The school district is investigating this incident, while the dad is keeping his options open.
"We are looking into legal action that we can take for negligence," Merrill's father told WBTV. "Once again - there should have been a staff member from South Point High School during practice."
Gaston County school district's Human Resources Department is investigating. No word when it will be complete.
Copyright 2012 WBTV. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2012 WorldNow and WISTV, a Raycom Media Station. 
