Wild brawl caught on video at HS basketball playoff game; 7 arrested, including 3 minors and 1 player



A wild brawl broke out during a Pennsylvania high school basketball playoff game last week, which resulted in seven arrests — including three 16-year-olds and one 18-year-old player.

The game was held last Friday at Meadville Area Senior High School, which is a little less than an hour south of Erie in the northwest corner of the state. Meadville went up against visiting Uniontown Area High School, which is about an hour and 20 minutes south of Pittsburgh.

Both schools must fulfill a list of requirements the PIAA imposed — or their boys basketball teams will be barred from next season’s state playoffs.

But the opponents never got to finish the contest.

With 3 minutes and 12 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter — and Meadville leading 63 to 55 — play was halted when a fight erupted in the stands; it soon spread to the court, TribLive reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Meadville police officers arrested Reginald Grooms, 44, of Uniontown; Notorious Grooms, 18, of Uniontown; Malik Wilson, 25, of Meadville; Joseph Chabot, 37, of Meadville; and three 16-year-olds who were not named, the outlet said. Police indicated that two of the 16-year-olds were from Meadville, and the other 16-year-old was from Uniontown, TribLive reported.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Notorious Grooms — a member of the Uniontown basketball team— along with Wilson, Chabot, and two of the juveniles were charged with disorderly conduct, the outlet said.

Reginald Grooms and the third juvenile were charged with simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct, TribLive noted.

Image source: YouTube screenshot

Both teams forfeited the game, and neither moved on in the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association boys basketball playoffs, TribLive reported.

Now what?

Both schools must fulfill a list of requirements the PIAA imposed — or their boys basketball teams will be barred from next season’s state playoffs, the outlet explained.

Each school must submit a plan of action “detailing what processes are in place to prevent situations like this from occurring in the future," TribLive said, adding that the deadline is March 19.

All players and coaches on the current roster must complete educational courses related to sportsmanship, the outlet noted.

Spectators “whose identities are known to school administration” must be banned from attendance at school-sponsored activities until June 15, 2026, TribLive added.

The PIAA also reprimanded each school for violating PIAA bylaws by “not addressing the unsportsmanlike behavior” of their spectators, the outlet also said.

Anything else?

The winner of the Uniontown-Meadville game was scheduled to face District 3 champion Hershey (22-3) in a second-round game, so Hershey received a bye, TribLive said.

Uniontown (22-5) was the fifth seed from the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (PIAA District 7) while Meadville (16-9) was the PIAA District 10 champion.

The brawl commences at the 1:30:44 mark in the below video:

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White-haired HS basketball referee knocked down by thrown objects after game; coach allegedly 'involved' in incident is fired



Cellphone video caught the moments when a white-haired Michigan high school basketball referee was knocked down to the court surface after objects were thrown at him and hit him after a playoff game last week.

What's more, an assistant coach from one of the teams allegedly was "involved" in the postgame incident and has been fired.

'I had never seen that type of officiating ... ever. Ever.'

Check out WNDU-TV's video report here, which includes the cellphone clip of the referee being pelted with the objects.

First, he's hit in the back of the head by a basketball, which stuns and staggers him for a few moments. As the referee begins to retreat, another object hits him in the shoulder, and another object whizzes by and misses him. Finally, another object hits him in the head, and the referee quickly reaches for his head as he falls to the court surface and rolls over on his back and then rolls again to his knees. Police soon pick him up and escort him from the court.

Police told WNDU-TV a thrown notebook also hit the referee while he was in a hallway in an attempt to leave the building.

Assistant coach fired over 'involvement' in incident

Benton Harbor Area Schools Superintendent Kelvin Butts said the district "confirmed that an assistant basketball coach was involved in the postgame incident with an official. Immediate action has been taken, and that individual is no longer associated with or employed by the district in any capacity," the station reported.

WNDU said the attack occurred immediately after the Benton Harbor boys' team lost to Buchanan 39-36 last Wednesday in a district semifinal playoff game at Dowagiac Union High School. The station said Benton Harbor was called for 22 fouls, while Buchanan was called for eight.

Dowagiac Police told WNDU that charges are being sought and they still are attempting to identify other individuals who engaged in the assault against the referee. A different video report from WNDU reportedly shows a still image of two people allegedly involved in the attack.

Police told the station more than three individuals were involved in the assault and that those from the Buchanan side did not take part.

Butts told WNDU that one of those involved in the postgame fracas is a student — but the district can't provide specific details about the student's involvement due to federal regulations.

Here's more from Superintendent Butts' statement:

Following thorough internal investigations and a report from the Dowagiac Union Schools School Resource Officer (SRO), we have confirmed that an assistant basketball coach was involved in the postgame incident with an official. Immediate action has been taken, and that individual is no longer associated with or employed by the District in any capacity.

Benton Harbor Area Schools unequivocally condemns and will not tolerate any acts of violence. While we understand that competitive events can generate intense emotions for both adults and students, the incidents that occurred following last week’s District basketball game are unacceptable and deeply concerning.

Regarding the student involved, we are bound by FERPA regulations and therefore cannot provide specific details. However, we assure you that the District is actively reviewing this matter in full compliance with Board policies, procedures, and the Student Code of Conduct.

We have maintained close communication with the other schools involved and have also engaged in productive discussions with Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Executive staff. Our focus is not only to address the events of February 26th but, more importantly, to implement comprehensive measures that prevent any recurrence of such incidents. Our dialogue with the MHSAA will continue as we collaboratively work to foster a safe and respectful environment for all participants.

Anything else?

Buchanan Community Schools Superintendent Patricia Robinson — whose team was triumphant against Benton Harbor — told WXMI-TV that "I had never seen that type of officiating ... ever. Ever. This is my first time ever experiencing that." Again, WNDU said Benton Harbor was called for 22 fouls while Buchanan was called for eight.

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HS basketball player caught on video punching 2 opposing players to the floor during game



A Georgia high school basketball player was caught on video punching a pair of opposing players to the floor during game earlier this month — and the puncher faces battery charges as a result.

TMZ Sports said the violence commenced around 6 p.m. Jan. 3 during a contest at Sonoraville High School in Calhoun, which was taking on the team from visiting Rockmart High School.

TMZ Sports said it obtained an incident report from the Gordon County Sheriff's Office indicating that the Rockmart player — a 16-year-old — got physical because his opponent 'kept calling him the N-word and he lost his temper.'

Cellphone video shows a Rockmart player shove a Sonoraville player to the hardwood. But when the shoved player rises to his feet and turns around to face his adversary, the Rockmart player punches the Sonoraville player in the face, sending him back to the floor and flat on his back.

With that, another Sonoraville player who was sitting on the bench sprints at the Rockmart player who threw the punch — and the Rockmart player puts him on the floor as well with a fast punch to the head.

A near-melee breaks out, with the Rockmart player backing up, bouncing on his feet and rotating his fists like a boxer — but it appears that adults get between him and the Sonoraville players, and the Rockmart player is led away.

While the second Sonoraville player got up right away after the right to his head, the first punched Sonoraville player was still lying on the floor and being helped by numerous adults as the clip ended.

You can view video here of the shove, punches, and aftermath.

TMZ Sports said it obtained an incident report from the Gordon County Sheriff's Office indicating that the Rockmart player — a 16-year-old — got physical because his opponent "kept calling him the N-word and he lost his temper."

The outlet noted that the incident report doesn't indicate whether the Sonoraville player admitted to using racist language.

The Rockmart player who got violent was facing two charges of simple battery, TMZ Sports said, citing police documents.

The outlet added that it reached out to Sonoraville High School for comment but had not yet heard back and that Rockmart hadn't yet publicly addressed the incident.

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'We're getting f***ed in the a**': Kentucky high school basketball coach resigns after locker-room speech is posted online



A Kentucky high school basketball coach has voluntarily resigned after footage was posted to Facebook showing him cursing more than two dozen times while speaking to young athletes.

Lynn Camp High School's boys' basketball coach Tyler Wagner was shown in two videos using explicit language with his team in the locker room, criticizing them for playing fearfully and lacking "common sense" on the court.

"There's not s*** out there. We're getting f***ed in the ass by a bunch of f***ing kids who want it more than we do," Wagner said in the first video. "That's why they're f***ing top-10 in the region."

"That's why we're bottom of the f***ing scale," he continued. "[Because] we think we just deserve it ... that's why you're gettin' your ass kicked every goddamned day," the coach added.

In the second video, Wagner specified that his players were being too apprehensive in their defensive play and seemed afraid to go hard at the other team's basket.

"Don't just f***ing stop! Like, what are we doing?! We have no common sense. We're playing back so far that we can't f***ing do nothing!" he complained.

"What is it, 12 points, 14 points in a f***ing half? In a f***ing half?! 14 f***ing points! Quit being scared when you go in there and just launching it up."

'I allowed the competitive environment to get the best of me.'

Wagner apologized in a statement, noting that the video was actually from 2023, as the latest season hasn't started yet.

"The language that I used in this video is not acceptable in any manner. I allowed the competitive environment to get the best of me and for that I am truly sorry," Wagner wrote, per the Lexington Herald-Leader. "I have fully accepted that what I did was not right, and I pledge to be better."

A Knox County, Kentucky, spokesperson said county officials had been "informed of a situation showing a coach inappropriately discussing issues with players."

"We are unable to discuss specific personnel matters. The coach has since voluntarily resigned from the position," the spokesperson confirmed.

Comments on the Facebook videos were seemingly entirely split between the two sexes, with women generally saying the coach went too far while men chalked it up to tough love.

"Coaches lead by example and are supposed to teach them how to be respectable young men," one woman wrote.

"This is ridiculous. ... You will not make these boys tough or play better cussing them like this," another said.

"This coach needs to be fired!" a different woman replied.

Men's comments were as follows:

"[It's so] when/if they go to college they don't get their feelings hurt because college coaches are 10000 times worse than this," a user named Brandon said.

"So when they become adults and go off to college they know how to handle it," another man wrote as a reason for the coach's language.

"This is light compared to my coaches coming up," another Facebook user said.

More women supported the coach than men who condemned him, with at least one woman stating that she wasn't familiar with the locker-room dynamic of men's sports until it was explained to her.

"At first I was upset with the whole thing until my husband explained to me. He could dial down the cussing but he's doing what a coach does."

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Angry, high-ranking state lawmaker appears to try pulling down pants of HS basketball referee, admits he 'acted the fool'



A high-ranking Tennessee state lawmaker was caught on video apparently trying to pull down the pants of a high school basketball referee during an argument earlier this week.

State Rep. Jeremy Faison — chairman of the state House Republican Caucus, the Tennessean reported — later admitted he "acted the fool" and was "bad wrong" and hoped to apologize to the official for his actions, according a statement he posted on Twitter.

Republican Tennessee state Rep. Jeremy FaisonImage source: Tennessee General Assembly website

What are the details?

Johnson City's Providence Academy recorded live on Facebook the game against Lakeway Christian Academy, which was visiting Tuesday night, the paper said. Video no longer exists on the school's Facebook page, but versions of it can be viewed on social media.

With seconds to go in the third quarter, a fight over a loose ball led to technical fouls for both teams, the Tennessean said. Video shows Faison sitting in the stands before heading to the court while referees broke up the fight, the paper said.

Game official Paul Pendleton later filed a report with the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association — standard procedure following incidents at games — and the report said Pendleton told Faison to leave the gym, the Tennessean said.

Faison began to walk away before turning and pointing at an official, the paper said.

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @HeartlandSignal

"You can't tell me to leave the floor, this was your fault," Faison said to Pendleton, the Tennessean said, citing the report.

Then video shows Faison bending down and apparently attempting to pull down Pendleton's pants, the paper said, adding that the referee's report said Faison tried to pull his pants "down and off."

Image source: Twitter video screenshot via @HeartlandSignal

The Tennessean said shouts were heard as Faison walked away and someone called for police.

The report states Pendleton asked a game administrator to call the police, but police weren't called and Faison left "without further incident," the paper said.

Here's the clip:

TN State Rep. Jeremy Faison, House GOP Chair, tried to fight and depants a high school basketball referee.\n\nFAISON: "Unfortunately, I acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref. I was wanting him to fight me. Totally lost my junk and got booted ... I was bad wrong."pic.twitter.com/qlBttjWZsg
— Heartland Signal (@Heartland Signal) 1641414753

What did the state lawmaker have to say?

While the Tennessean said Faison couldn't be reached by telephone for comment by mid-afternoon Wednesday, he had plenty to say on Twitter.

"For years I thought how wrong it is when a parent looses [sic] their temper at a sporting event," Faison wrote on Twitter. "It’s not Christian, and it’s not mature, and it’s embarrassing to the child have always been my thoughts."

He added, "Unfortunately, I acted the fool tonight and lost my temper on a ref. I was wanting him to fight me. Totally lost my junk and got booted ... from the gym. I’ve never really lost my temper, but I did tonight, and it was completely stupid of me. Emotions getting in the way of rational thoughts are never good. I hope to be able to find the ref and ask for his forgiveness. I was bad wrong."

I acted the fool tonight. \nI\u2019m hoping to be able to make it right.pic.twitter.com/W8PINvTue5
— Rep. Jeremy Faison (@Rep. Jeremy Faison) 1641347570