Any true basketball fan will not hesitate to argue the fact that the hardwood is a physical place to compete. And although competitors do not adorn themselves with the helmets, pads, and protective gear that other sports find normal, it is very much a contact sport, contrary to popular argument. With this is mind, there are occasions in which the physical nature of the game supersedes proper judgment and decorum.
Such was the case this past weekend in Indiana. On Saturday, January 16, during a matchup between Pike High School and Ben Davis High School, a game that had already proven to be highly competitive and physical erupted into an all-out brawl after a hard foul in the fourth quarter. As players from opposing sides confronted each other on the court, fans even rushed the floor as the benches of both teams cleared to add to the skirmish.
Because of the actions of the teams, the Indiana High School Athletic Association made the decision Monday to cancel the remainder of the season for both schools. Both teams are ineligible for postseason play and will be on probation for the 2016-17 season. Furthermore, there is a laundry list that participants of both programs must complete in order to return to the status quo of their respective teams.
This incident is a strict reminder that, even in the most extreme circumstances, sportsmanship cannot be forgotten or ignored. At the end of the day, no matter the sport or the competition, it must be understood that, regardless of the outcome, a lack of sportsmanship only tarnishes the game that many have grown to know and love.
Sanctions Handed Down by the IHSAA on Monday
- Both member schools have been suspended from participation in next month’s IHSAA Girls Basketball State Tournament. Class 4A, Sectional 11, hosted by Decatur Central, shall be redesigned as a four‐team tournament. Ben Davis and Pike high schools shall not receive any sectional tournament revenue from this year’s tournament.
- Remaining regular season contests at the varsity level are cancelled. Junior varsity and freshmen contests may be played with any remaining players that were not in attendance at Saturday’s varsity game or can positively be identified by the school administrations as not leaving the bench area.
- The contest between the two schools of Saturday, January 16, 2016 shall stand as a double forfeit.
- Each basketball coach (paid and voluntary) from both schools shall complete the Teaching and Modeling Behavior course available on the NFHSLearn.com website. A coach failing to meet this requirement shall not be allowed to coach in an interscholastic contest until fulfillment of this mandate. Both schools shall produce the certificates of completion of these courses to the Commissioner for inspection.
- Each student‐athlete, varsity or junior varsity present at this contest from both schools shall complete the Sportsmanship course found on the NFHSLearn.com website. A student‐athlete failing to meet this requirement shall be ineligible for any interscholastic participation until this requirement is fulfilled. Both schools shall produce the respective certificates of completion for these courses to the Commissioner for inspection.
- It is also strongly encouraged that all remaining girls’ basketball players in both programs complete the Sportsmanship course found on the NFHSLearn.com website.
- Both school’s girls basketball teams shall be placed on probation for the entire 2016‐17 school year. This probation is a severe type of warning. It is official notice that serious violations have occurred, are a matter of record and future, similar incidents will not be tolerated. Failure to adhere to the stated by‐laws of this corporation and/or playing rules provided by the IHSAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) may result in additional penalties including, but not limited to, an entire school suspension of membership from the Indiana High School Athletic Association, Inc.
Watch Indianapolis’ WTHR-TV Channel 13 coverage of the incident below:
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Season Ends Prematurely for Two Indiana High Schools
By James Washington
Photographer: Albert Aguirre
