Four Football Players Charged in Attack on Teammate

BLUE EARTH (AP) -- Four Blue Earth Area High School football players have been charged with an assault on a teammate that left him unconscious.

The four players, ranging in age from 16 to 18, face felony charges that include third-degree assault causing substantial bodily harm and aiding and abetting. An 18-year-old senior, Wyatt Tungland, is accused of punching a 16-year-old teammate in the face and head while the other three teens held him down.

Prosecutors say the assault happened at a house party Oct. 19 in Winnebago southwest of Mankato. The victim told police he had been in a dispute with one of the teens, was pushed down at the party, punched in the face and became unconscious.

Tungland's attorney, Chris Ritts, says witness accounts contained in the complaint don't support the charges.