www.projo.com
Advertisement


« Cox Rhode Island Sports Awards to honor state's top high school athletes, coaches and teams | Blog Home | Palumbo seventh at Millrose Boys High School Mile »

Hearing today on Cranston West-Smithfield brawl

The R.I. Interscholastic League will hold a meeting this afternoon to determine what disciplinary action should be taken as a result of an on-court melee in the final minute of Tuesday night’s Cranston West-Smithfield boys basketball game in Cranston.

With 13 seconds remaining in the game and Smithfield leading 49-40, a fight broke out between a Cranston West player and a Smithfield player as they struggled for control of the ball. Before game officials could separate the two players, others from both teams along with fans from the stands converged on the court.

For about five minutes there were approximately 100 people -- players, non-playing students and adults -- involved in the on-court melee. Cranston School Department event staff workers, along with the coaching staffs of both teams, were able to quell the major portion of the uprising within a few minutes. Several Cranston police officers, who were called to the scene, stabilized the situation and there were no further disturbances.

There were no reported injuries and there were no arrests at the scene. A Cranston School Department official said, however, that the Cranston police are still reviewing a videotape of the game.

Once order was restored, game officials called the game and declared Smithfield the winner. Officials from both schools, Interscholastic League officials and game officials are expected to attend today’s meeting.

-Sports Writer John Gillooly

Comments

Was it fair that they suspended boys that weren't involved in the fight from Cranston West? Was it fair that a player was hit by a parent from Smithfield? Smithfield should be suspended for the rest of the year. Whomever made decisions to suspend players from Cranston West without knowledge, needs to get a new job rather than ruin a kids life. You jerks!

This is in response to one of the comments posted before this one and on the overall situation in general.

First of all, the comment is flawed in more ways than one. There is a comma splice in there, and no one is out to ruin a "KID'S LIFE".

From all accounts, it sounds like the situation was handled correctly. High school sports are meant to teach us teamwork. I know that to be a proud follower of RI sports and to read about this is a sickening feeling. Both teams did not conduct themselves using proper sportsmanship. Both teams were in the wrong, regardless if Smithfield is in contention for a Division I State basketball championship.

Overall, a sad day in sports that we all have to live with.

Post a comment

(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)