One thing that I remember from going to high school football games back when I was younger is that they had separate stands for the home and visiting teams.
Part of the reason for this is so that opposing fanbases don’t take their exuberance and enthusiasm a little too far.
One of the things that people have to understand with sports is that they are supposed to be fun and the second people start taking them too seriously you have something dangerous on your hands.
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.