Youth Football Coach Accused Of Punching Players From Opposing Team In NSB

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New Smyrna Beach, FL - A youth football coach from a visiting team was arrested after being accused of punching several players with the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas' youth football team after a fight broke out on the field following a game.

Police responded to the scene at the New Smyrna Beach Sports Complex at 1800 Turnbull Bay Rd. at around 3:48 PM on Saturday. Witnesses say that the fight took place after the final play of the game between the Middleburg Broncos and the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas. 33-year-old Larry Cruce is the coach for the Middleburg Broncos. New Smyrna Beach police say that Cruce jumped in and joined the fight. According to arrest reports, a witness reported that Cruce punched one of the players in the face and throat. One of the players suffered a cut on his face and an abrasion below his eye, and the player claimed he sustained those injuries after Cruce punched him. None of the other players complained of any injuries. Cruce was charged with three counts of child abuse without great harm, and he was taken into custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail.

(Cruce's mugshot courtesy Volusia County Jail)

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