More details emerge on fight that forced Cross Creek to forfeit game
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Documents from the Georgia High School Association are shedding light on what happened last week during a fight between players during a Cross Creek-Savannah High School football game.
The fight forced Cross Creek to forfeit this week’s game as part of its punishment, in addition to being fined $1,500, according to a letter from the association to Cross Creek that was released along with a summary of what happened.
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Players who were singled out in the documents must sit out the next game and complete a sportsmanship course.
Cross Creek was also placed on “severe warning status” for a calendar year. That means any similar violation could bring stricter penalties.
The findings single out four Cross Creek players and three Savannah players as being involved in the brawl. Their names and numbers were redacted from the version of the documents released to News 12.
According to the findings, the fight broke out with three minutes and 55 seconds left in the fourth quarter. A referee saw at least one player from each team throwing punches, and the referee flagged both players, according to the documents.
“As the play ended, substitutes entered the field and engaged in fighting by throwing punches,” according to a summary of the incident in the documents.
READ THE DOCUMENTS:
Coaches, police and game management worked together to restore order, sending both teams to the locker room, according to the association. Once order was restored, facility and game management requested that the game be terminated, so the referee ended it at 3:38 in the third quarter.
“The GHSA and its member schools have made and expect a commitment to promote good sportsmanship by student/athletes coaches and spectators,” Cross Creek was told in the letter. “This should be exemplified before, during, and after all GHSA sanctioned events.”
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