California high school football game ends early as melee breaks out between players

A California high school football game ended abruptly on Friday night as a fight forced officials to call it early in the fourth quarter.

Fresno Central Grizzlies defeated Justin Garza High School Guardians 40-0. Video from the incident showed a Guardians player ripping a Grizzlies player’s helmet off his head and hitting him with it, according to the Fresno Bee.

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The incident occurred away from where the ball was.

Coaches from both teams were able to break up the melee, but officials decided enough was enough and ended the game with 10 minutes remaining.

Central Unified Superintendent Ketti Davis released a statement on the issue.

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“I want to assure our community that such behavior does not reflect the values of sportsmanship we uphold, and we are committed to addressing this incident in accordance with our district’s policies,” Davis said.

Davis thanked coaches and staff members for quickly defusing the incident.

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“Let us remember that this incident does not define who we are,” Davis added. “Together, we will continue to promote the values of respect, sportsmanship, and community that are true hallmarks of our district.”

California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is expected to meet with Central Unified officials on Monday about the incident, according to KFSN-TV.

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