Exiting a high school basketball game in handcuffs is no way to go through life.
A wild brawl that featured at least two adult men being escorted out of the gym in handcuffs marred a Pennsylvania boys basketball playoff game Friday night between Uniontown and Meadville.
“I’ve never seen anything this ugly break out in person,” an announcer for the game said in a video posted to the USH Talk YouTube channel. “This was really a shame.”
The wild scene resulted in the game being called with Meadville leading, 63-55, with 3:12 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association had yet to post a winner on its website for the first-round 5A game as of Monday morning.
“I have contacted the schools involved and have requested a report from them by Monday AM regarding last night’s incident,” PIAA executive director Robert Lombardi told the Erie Times-News. “I have no further comment until I receive their reports.”
The skirmish began late in the fourth quarter after the referees called a technical on Uniontown following a foul by Meadville after a defender poked the ball loose.
The announcers calling the game could not tell whom the referees had called for the technical before realizing the visiting team had been hit with the technical and a player had reached his fouls limit.
The pair behind the mics then notified the viewers that the fans had begun to get unruly.
“Uniontown fans are going after the officials here a little bit,” the main announcer said. “You might have some ejections here. Some of the Uniontown fans getting awfully hot.”
Fans soon began brawling in the sections behind the Meadville bench, which prevented the Uniontown player shooting his free throws.
One fan in a white jersey threw punches before being taken down from behind by a man in a long-sleeved green shirt. Several individuals then held the man in the jersey down.
As the action unfolded in the stands, a scream could be overheard while the Uniontown players went into defensive mode as fans walked onto the court.
“And now you got players getting into it. Uh oh. This is getting really bad. This is getting really bad on both sides,” the announcer said. “You got people still coming loose here on the court. What is going on? What is wrong with these people? … You got players all around trying to fight and this is absolutely crazy. Honestly, both of these schools, you cannot have this going on.”
Several police officers eventually led a man in a blue shirt out of the gym in cuffs, while another fan walked from one end of the gym to the other in handcuffs.
The cheerleaders eventually exited and a man then instructed the fans to leave via separate exits.
“It turned into a boxing match. We came here to call a basketball game…” the main announcer said while the gym began to empty out.
The other followed: “It turned into WrestleMania.”
Meadville coach Mark McElhinny told the Erie Times-News his team was handling the situation well, although it’s possible there could be suspensions.
Hershey awaits the winner Tuesday.
“The kids are doing fine,” McElhinny said. “I think they are optimistic but it sounds like we’ll have to wait until Monday to find out if we move on.”
Crawford Central School District Superintendent Dr. Jennifer A. Galdon condemned the actions by the fans.
“Due to an unfortunate incident that occurred during last night’s boys’ basketball game, the game was brought to an early conclusion,” Galdon told Erie News Now. “While we regret this unexpected ending, the safety and well-being of layers (sic), fans, and staff remain our top priority.
“The district is disappointed by this unfortunate outcome, as the game was meant to be a showcase of competition and sportsmanship. We remind all fans that respectful and sportsmanlike behavior is expected at all times.”
