Brawl ends high school basketball game in Placer County. Will CIF enforce suspensions?
A high school boys basketball game in Placer County came to a chaotic halt in the second quarter Tuesday when a brawl broke out.
Cellphone video from a fan sent to local media captured the start of the brawl between Foresthill and Futures of Sacramento and the melee that followed. Futures was leading the California Valley League game 25-14 when a foul led to words, which led to the fight. A Foresthill player, wearing a white jersey, can be seen in the video shoving a Futures player to the floor, and players and coaches rushed the court to pull players apart, leading to bodies and punches being thrown between adults.
Placer County law enforcement personnel were called in to help, and officers escorted the Futures team and coaches back to their bus, according to witnesses.
Foresthill principal Erin Davenport in an email to students and families said that home basketball events will continue at Foresthill, writing in part: “Unfortunately, there was an altercation during the varsity boys basketball game at Foresthill High School last night. We are working collaboratively with the Placer County Sheriff’s office to investigate the situation.
“Please know, our number one priority is always the safety of students, student-athletes, staff, fans, and the greater community during athletic events....”
As an independent, private school, Futures High is not in a school district, but is under the direction of Gateway Community Charters.
“We are aware of the incident that occurred during last night’s game between Futures and Foresthill,” Futures High and Gateway said in a statement. “At Gateway Community Charter Schools, we prioritize the safety, sportsmanship, and well-being of all students, staff, and spectators involved in our athletic programs.
“We are currently gathering information about the events that transpired and are working closely with the CIF-SJS (Sac-Joaquin Section) to ensure a thorough review of the situation. While we cannot comment on specific details at this time, we want to assure our community that appropriate measures will be taken to address this matter in accordance with our values and school policies....”
The game is not likely to be resumed and it is not clear whether the teams will play in a league finale on Feb. 14. Players and coaches who engage in any measure of fighting or leaving the bench are subject to school and governing body CIF punishment, including player and suspensions. The CIF has in other sports in recent years suspended players from a minimum of three games to six or more.
The CIF section office, based in Elk Grove, also mandates that suspended players and their parents must meet with their school principal about behavior to be reinstated to a school team.
The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section for the start of this academic year imposed a yellow card/red card rule for fans, borrowing from soccer usually designated for players.
A yellow card can be issued to fans as a warning, and red cards mean a serious misconduct could lead to a ban from prep events in this section.
The CIF Sac-Joaquin Section did not immediately respond for comment.
Futures and Foresthill both opened in 2004. The basketball teams compete in a small-enrollment school conference that includes schools from Sacramento and Placer Counties.
Both teams were 10-8 overall and in the playoff hunt entering Tuesday’s action.