Classless Cheap Shot Sparks Huge HS Brawl Involving Coaches, Players and Fans
Sportsmanship suffered a black eye after an Arizona high school basketball game ended with a massive brawl Saturday night.
Video from the Arizona Republic and KPNX shows the scrap that broke out after Mesa Skyline defeated Laveen Cesar Chavez 63-56 to win the Phoenix Union High School District Coyote Classic.
As players from the two teams were lined up to shake hands, two players began talking, followed by one player swatting an opponent, who then followed up with a punch. As the player who initially shoved the other tried to move away, the player who threw the punch grabbed him as his teammates came to his aid, triggering the eruption.
First, the players began pushing and shoving. Coaches were soon in the middle of the melee. Fans, including many students, came running from all directions to take on fans from the rival school who were also storming the court.
Police said no arrests were made.
“Officers arrived and the crowd was asked to leave,” Mercedes Fortune, Phoenix police public information officer, told the Arizona Republic. “There were no reports of injuries and I was not advised of any arrests.”
James Capriotti, the coach of Mesa Skyline, said the atmosphere was “very volatile” during the game.
“It was a terrible scene,” Capriotti said. “It was a really bad look after a really good game.”
Capriotti said video confirms that the other team threw the first punch.
“Punches were thrown,” he said. “The first punch was thrown by them.”
Capriotti said his team was not hurt in the fracas.
“No injuries, no black eyes, no bumps,” he said. “Just unfortunate a good game like that between two of the top 10 teams goes down like that. We have nothing but respect for Coach (Gary) Lee. It’s unfortunate.”
Lee, the coach of Laveen Cesar Chavez, said he would not comment without his school’s approval.
Capriotti said post-game handshakes will now be a thing of the past.
“I’ll shake hands with the coach but we’ll go into the locker room,” he said.
The Phoenix Union High School District ruled that Laveen Cesar Chavez will forfeit a game. Any players directly involved in the fight will be suspended, the district said in a statement.
“We are committed to upholding the highest of standards for student-athletes, our coaching staff, our parents, and all spectators,” the statement read. “The safety and security of our students, staff, and community is always our highest priority, and behavior of this sort will not be tolerated.”
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