High school soccer player ‘charged at photographer and grabbed him by the throat’ in wild postgame brawl
A high school star soccer star for one of the top teams in the country is accused of grabbing a photographer by the throat during a wild Saturday-night brawl in Jersey City, New Jersey.
The incident took place as players from St. Benedict’s and St. Peter’s Prep shook hands following a 1-1 tie. When a shoving match erupted between the two teams, St. Benedict’s star forward Amadou Hann ran from the back of the handshake line to pursue St. Peter’s Prep players, as seen in footage published by NJ.com.
Hann runs off screen at one point of the footage. It’s then, NJ.com reports, that he noticed Tom Horak, a photographer assigned by NJ Advance Media to cover the game.
As Horak and other witnesses told NJ.com, Hann sprinted towards the photographer and demanded he delete pictures of the brawl. Hann then allegedly grabbed Horak by the throat, leaving him with abrasions around his neck that were verified by NJ.com.
Another clip recorded on the field shows a player, believed to be Hann, chasing the photographer and going after his camera before being restrained by teammates.
Police were not called as Horak declined medical attention and told NJ.com he will not be pressing charges. St. Peter’s Prep athletic director Rich Hansen told NJ.com the skirmish didn’t last long enough to warrant a call to police, describing the incident as ‘high school nonsense.’
Amadou Hann (pictured) of St. Benedict’s Prep is accused of attacking a photographer
The two New Jersey high schools went at it on Saturday night in Jersey City
Another clip recorded on the field shows a player, believed to be Hann, chasing the photographer and going after his camera before being restrained by teammates
Hansen also said he thought Hann was trying to grab Horak’s camera.
‘It was kind of surreal,’ Hansen told NJ.com. ‘I saw [Hann] dart down the sidelines to the photographer. He was obviously in a rattled state and the photographer backed up. He was shocked by it. But obviously contact was made. I looked and I saw [Hann] grab the photographer. I’ve never seen anything quite like that.’
Daily Mail has reached out to Horak for comment.
St. Benedict’s has since provided a statement to Daily Mail.
‘St. Benedict’s Prep is aware of the incident that occurred following Saturday’s soccer match, in which one of our players is reported to have engaged in an altercation with a member of the media,’ the statement began. ‘While we are still gathering all the facts, we take this matter extremely seriously and are treating it with the utmost priority and care. Our coaching staff, athletic department, and school leaders are actively reviewing eyewitness accounts, video footage, and statements from all parties involved.
‘We are conducting an internal investigation in accordance with our policies to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability. We have also been in contact with the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) and St. Peter’s Prep.
‘St. Benedict’s Prep remains committed to upholding sportsmanship, respect, and safety for all participants and members of the public. Any further public comment will occur once all relevant information has been reviewed, in consultation with the NJSIAA.’
New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association spokesman Mike Cherenson told NJ.com that the organization is investigating ‘this unfortunate incident.’
The 6-foot-2 Hann had 16 goals and 11 assists last season as St. Benedict’s finished 20-0 with the top ranking in the country. They had won their first six games of the 2025 season before Saturday’s draw.
It was Hann who scored the equalizer, helping St. Benedict’s to avoid its first loss since 2023.
St. Benedict’s is considered one of the premiere soccer schools in the country, having produced U.S. legends like Tab Ramos, Gregg Berhalter and Claudio Reyna.
