Over the last few days, we’ve been made aware of numerous accounts of outright violence perpetrated on high-school basketball courts.
Back on February 17, the boys’ basketball teams from Virginia Beach Kempsville (Va.) and Virginia Beach Salem (Va.) got involved in a fracas which sent one of the players to the hospital with a serious injury. Two teenagers were charged with unlawful wounding for their part in the fight. Kempsville forfeited the Salem game and the next game against Kempsville, then lost their VHSL Class 5A tournament game against Chesapeake Indian River (Va.), ending their season.
Last weekend, a game between Reynoldsburg (Ohio) and Hilliard Bradley (Ohio) was marred by an incident when a Reynoldsburg freshman player punched an opponent in the groin during play. Reynoldsburg has suspended the player for the remainder of the Ohio State High School Athletics Association Division I boys’ basketball tournament.
Four days ago, the VHSL Class 2A boys’ basketball tournament game between Bristol Virginia (Va.) and Floyd (Va.) County ended with a brawl in overtime, started when a parent came out of the stands to confront a game official. Players, fans, and law enforcement were on the court, which was eventually cleared and Floyd County declared the winner even with a minute to play in the extra frame.
That same night, the girls’ basketball game between Hopewell (Va.) and Fredericksburg James Monroe (Va.) also dissolved to violence. With a minute to go in this Class 3A quarterfinal game, a player from Hopewell punched an opponent in the face. Law enforcement prevented playes and fans from rushing the court, and the game continued with Monroe winning the game by 24 points.
Friday night, a PIAA Class 5A tournament game between Uniontown (Pa.) and Meadville Area (Pa.) was marred by a fight that occurred in the fourth quarter. The melee started when a Uniontown fan waded into the Meadville fan section and started assaulting people behind the bench. Several fans were taken away in handcuffs.
As of this morning, a winner has not been declared by the PIAA; the PDF showing the 32-team bracket has not advanced a team from that game to play against District 3 champion Hershey in Tuesday’s second round.
If you think this problem is limited to basketball, think again. Last Friday, a relay runner from the 4-by-200-meter indoor race at the VHSL Class 3 state indoor meet was assaulted by her opponent in the middle of the second leg. The runner, who had won the 55-meter dash earlier in the meet, was diagnozed with concussion and potential skull fracture after an opposing runner struck her in the head with the relay baton. Norcom was disqualified from the 4-by-200 event,
Late-season competition, especially in single-elimination situations such as state tournaments, are a study in contrasts. One team goes on, the other goes home. For the latter, the realization that their days of recreation are over for this activity leads to all kinds of reaction and emotion.
You’re seeing an amazing cluster of out-of-control behavior on the part of athletes and their fans. In the last third of a century covering scholastic sports, I’ve never seen anything like this. Sure, there have been individual events that have made the news, including a couple of incredibly ugly incidents when players chased opponents into their locker room to continue the altercation.
But it’s a game, people. Violence and lashing out should never be happening.