Mississippi’s governing body of high school athletics is investigating the melee that erupted Tuesday near the end of a tense girls’ basketball game between Greenwood High and homestanding S.V. Marshall in Tchula.
“We’re looking to identify how bad the altercation was and security issues to make sure everything was handled once it happened the way it should’ve been handled,” said Ricky Neaves, associate director of athletics at the Mississippi High School Activities Association. “I think it was multiple people involved in altercations in the stands.”
Neaves said officials from MHSAA will be reviewing reports and game footage to determine what exactly happened.
Neaves said sanctions would be possible, but MHSAA will need to conclude its investigation first. That won’t be until next week because MHSAA staff will be busy through this weekend with the state football championships in Jackson.
Meanwhile, a Leflore County official who got caught in the middle of the ruckus criticized the way officials at the Tchula school handled the volatile situation.
“If you’re an official at a school, you should get everyone separated and not escalate it,” said Leflore County Supervisor Anjuan Brown. “You had school officials that couldn’t agree on anything.”
Brown, a former member of the Greenwood School Board, said the Tchula school officials went so far as to yell at several of their Greenwood counterparts.
Reached this morning, S.V. Marshall Principal Reginald Barnes declined immediate comment and said he’d prefer to respond in a written statement by Friday.
Brown said he stepped into the middle of a scuffle to break it up and protect an older daughter, Brittany, after she was struck in the face by another fan.
Brown and Brittany were at the game to watch his younger daughter, Greenwood senior standout Kelsey Brown, play.
Marshall had a 2-point lead with six seconds to play when Kelsey hit a buzzer-beating shot to tie the game.
A number of Greenwood players and fans rushed the court to celebrate, believing it was a game-winning three-pointer.
After officers cleared the court, scuffles broke out in the stands between fans.
Anjuan Brown said an altercation ensued after Brittany objected to some of the profanity being hurled at her sister on the court by an unidentified female fan.
The fan then hit Brittany, who is pregnant.
“I went down and got in the middle of it because they hit her in the face and she’s expecting,” Brown said. “I was trying to get her out. I was trying to break everything up.”
School officials on the scene decided to call the girls’ game and cancel the boys’ game that was supposed to be played immediately afterward.
Neaves said neither game will be rescheduled and the girls’ game will be officially recorded as a 61-61 tie.
GHS Athletic Director Clinton Gatewood said the Marshall fans were competitive and hostile from the start of the game.
“There was a lot of heckling going on with the fans,” he said. “You started feeling the vibe in the game, and it was getting heated.”
Gatewood said no Greenwood players or school staff were involved in any of the incidents.
A school resource officer, though, suffered an undisclosed injury while trying to break up a fight.
“After all this took place, we made the decision it was best to get our kids to the locker room because things were getting out of hand in the gym,” Gatewood said.
Greenwood Superintendent Montrell Greene said the district will be conducting its own investigation as well.
“We are looking into not only the injury but the entire matter to ensure that the program is a program of excellence and that we have a safe and orderly environment for our boys and girls when they are representing the school district outside of Greenwood.”
Brown said that he understood that the game would be competitive but that there was no excuse for the way the situation escalated.
“Given the atmosphere, and given the hype of the game, there was already some rivalry built up from the beginning,” Brown said. “No matter what type of intensity that you’re dealing with, there should still be sportsmanship.
“That was a hostile environment, and as the duty of a father, I protected my family and made sure everybody was safe. Our kids were being harassed, some of our other students from Leflore County got into situations. I felt compelled to help defuse the situation and make sure they’re safe as well.”
nContact Bryn Stole at 581-7235 or bstole@gwcommonwealth.com.
