‘Standing Up For My Kids, Victims Of Racial Slurs’: Black Man Unapologetic After He’s One Of Three Pennsylvania Coaches Criminally Charged In Viral Brawl at 9U Football Game
Last week, The Shadow League reported on an Aug. 29 fight between third- and fourth-grade youth football coaches in Pennsylvania that was captured on video and went viral. Coaches brawled as one coach charged at another as the fight went to the ground on the field. The melee led to the suspension of the game.
Now these coaches have to face the music, with one claiming he and his players were the victims of racial attacks and he was defending them.
Carnegie Police Chiefs Announces Charges Against Three Coaches Involved In Youth Football Brawl
The Carnegie Police Department announced charges against Dequay Canton, Carlynton’s head coach, and two Keystone Oaks coaches, Joseph Kubiak and Frank McGrath. All will be charged with disorderly conduct.
The two teams have suspended five coaches in total as the Steel City football League investigates the debacle.
“I’ve seen at high school games coaches arguing, but never to the level of a fistfight like this,” Carnegie Police Chief Jeffrey Kennedy told reporters on Sept. 3.
How Did Fight Start, What Are The Charges?
The officer who wrote the criminal complaint against Canton identified him as the aggressor.
Canton was seen shouting in the direction of players, referees, and Keystone Oaks coach Frank McGrath. McGrath darted over to Cannon and pushed him, Canton retaliated and a fight broke out, with punches exchanged and the men ending up on the ground as coaches stepped in to restrain all parties involved.
Carlynton Coach Dequay Canton Canton Says He Was Defending Players, Racial Slur Sparked Incident
Canton, who’s also charged with harassment, is maintaining that the incident was sparked by racial slurs directed toward his kids.
“As a Black man, I was being mobbed by all their football and cheerleading staff, trying to attack me. All I could think about was fight or flight,” Canton said. “I’m not apologetic for standing up for my kids who saw the injustice and were the victims of racial slurs.”
According to Chief Kennedy, however, so far no one has corroborated Canton’s claim.
“No one has come forward to support those statements to us. Through a third party we contacted the refs, the refs said he never came forward to them. And, if there were racial slurs, that didn’t justify the fight,” said Kennedy.
Carlynton Youth football coach Dequay Canton says he was defending his players against racial attacks from opposing teams and fans when he got into a fight with Keystone Oaks coaches, Joseph Kubiak and Frank McGrath. All three men were charged with disorderly contect, but police say Canton was the aggressor. (Screenshot News 11/YouTube)
Why Does The Black Coach Get Called The Aggressor?
A release from the Carnegie Police Department reports that punches thrown by Dequay Canton “could have caused substantial harm” and “most definitely caused serious inconvenience.”
The release maintains that while the Keystone Oaks coaches participated in the fight, it is not believed they started it. The video seems to show other evidence, which the courts will sort out.
“After watching that video several times, the Carlynton coach was the aggressor. He’s the one that started it, said PC Kennedy.
Dequay Canton has been banned for life from Steel City Little League.
Kubiak Is Assistant To Superintendent
Violent acts between coaches, players, parents and families has been thrust to the forefront of sport conversations in recent weeks. This one has resulted in criminal charges.
Pittsburgh Action News 4 reports that Kubiak is also the assistant to the superintendent in the Keystone Oaks School District.
School Board President Emily Snyder issued the following statement:
On Sunday, August 30, 2026, the Superintendent and the Board of School Directors were made aware of an incident that occurred during a youth football game between the Carlynton youth football program and the Keystone Oaks youth football program that involved a district employee, Mr. Joseph Kubiak, Assistant to the Superintendent for Operations.
The youth football league is operated by Steel City Youth Football and is independent of the Keystone Oaks School District. While this incident occurred outside of the employee’s professional duties, the district takes the incident seriously and is investigating the employee’s involvement in the incident. Furthermore, today the district has been made aware that Mr. Kubiak was issued a summary offense citation.
In the nine years that Mr. Kubiak has worked for Keystone Oaks School District, he has conducted himself with the utmost level of professionalism.
At this time, we cannot provide any further comment as this is a personnel matter and Pennsylvania School Code prohibits public comment on personnel matters.
Who Reported & Recorded The Brawl?
In addition to the fact that the coaches brawl was caught on camera (the police chief thanked the videographer for the evidence), Chief Kennedy said the brawl was reported by EMS who called the police.
The embarrassing ordeal was recorded and posted by Ryan Crux, whose 9-year-old son played on the Carlynton Little Cougars D2 team that Saturday against Keystone in Carnegie.
“I initially started recording just from his body language. I had a feeling that something was about to happen,” Crux told Pittsburgh’s Action News 4 reporter Jordan Cioppa.
According to the criminal complaint, police were called to Honus Wagner Football Field before 6 p.m. on Saturday, where they were shown the video by a parent. Crux was informed on Tuesday that he also is banned from all Steel City Youth Football League events.
