Boy denies school beating

The Daily Inter Lake

A Whitefish teen accused of severely beating another student in the Whitefish High School parking lot denied the allegations during a hearing last week in District Court.

Zachary Robert Watson, 16, is charged as a minor in Youth Court with the alleged assault. His trial is scheduled for October.

A second teen arrested in connection with the March 18 attack, 18-year-old Joseph Wayne Goetsch, pleaded not guilty April 9 to felony aggravated assault.

According to court documents, one witness reported seeing Watson tackle the alleged victim, a 16-year-old boy, and then punch him.

Witnesses told investigators Goetsch kicked the boy in the stomach and punched him in the mouth, knocking out his teeth.

Another witness said the alleged victim was pinned to the ground while the beating occurred.

Investigators believe the attack was in retaliation for an earlier altercation involving the alleged victim and a friend of the defendants.

Goetsch, however, did not admit to police that the assault was retaliatory.

The alleged victim, who briefly lost consciousness, suffered blunt head trauma, cuts and a concussion. He was taken by ambulance to North Valley Hospital.

Goetsch's trial is scheduled for the August jury term.