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A blowout on the scoreboard turned into ugly blows on the field during a California high school football game between Central High School and Justin Garza High School on Friday night.
The incident that started it all came during a punt by Garza in the 3rd quarter, and while the play was happening some 40 yards downfield, 2 players got into a skirmish and things quickly escalated. The game was called in the 3rd quarter with Central leading 40-0 in, ironically, the 1st meeting between the schools.
A Garza player was seen ripping off the helmet of a Central lineman, swinging the helmet and connecting with the Central player’s face before the 2 players briefly fought. Coaches and players intervened quickly.
According to multiple reports, that incident lasted for about a minute, but it was enough time for a coach to get hit by another Garza player.
And another angle.
Madness https://t.co/Uqq9lwugqk pic.twitter.com/Rd0pNax5jC— PAGMETER (@PAGMETER) August 24, 2024
Video: Coach punched by player in California high school game https://t.co/N8xxQEONNN
— Doug Samuels (@CoachSamz) August 25, 2024
Video shows various coaches trying to break up the fight, as a Garza player tries to hit a Central player despite a coach being in between them. The Garza player takes a swing and it’s clear that he connects with the coach who’s in between the 2 players.
The game officials sent both teams to their locker rooms after a short meeting at midfield with coaches. The game was then called, and the official record will show Central as the winner after it built that big 40-0 lead.
It’s not clear what disciplinary action will be taken in the aftermath of the ugly incident.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
