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Police asking for video, witnesses to basketball brawl

Austin McCoy of Miamisburg (right) and teammate Connor Brown defend against Fairborn's Billy Jackson during last Friday's game at Fairborn. McCoy suffered facial injuries during an incident in the fourth quarter of the game. Contributed photo by Charles Caperton

Charles Caperton Austin McCoy of Miamisburg (right) and teammate Connor Brown defend against Fairborn's Billy Jackson during last Friday's game at Fairborn. McCoy suffered facial injuries during an incident in the fourth quarter of the game. Contributed photo by Charles Caperton

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By Marc F. Pendleton, Staff Writer Updated 7:47 PM Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Fairborn Police Department is asking the public for help in its investigation of the brawl that erupted Friday during the boys high school basketball game between Fairborn and visiting Miamisburg that ended with one player needing to have surgery for a facial injury.

The police department is asking any person who has video of the Jan. 27 incident or any people who can offer a "first-hand witness accounts" to call the detective section at (937) 754-3066, ext. 3338.

The brief brawl that broke out in the fourth quarter of last Friday’s boys high school basketball game at Fairborn has resulted in facial injuries to a Miamisburg player and at least one-game suspensions for nine players.

Miamisburg junior Austin McCoy was struck after spectators rushed the floor. His mother said that Austin has been hospitalized at Sycamore Hospital since the incident and he is scheduled to undergo surgery today.

A person identified as a Fairborn High School student was apprehended by police at the game. Fairborn Municipal Court prosecutors are reviewing the incident to determine whether charges will be filed against the spectator.

Neither Fairborn school officials nor police identified the suspect. However, Fairborn superintendent Dave Scarberry said Monday that the student has been suspended from school for 10 days and will be recommended for expulsion.

McCoy, a junior center, was struck in the face. His mother said Monday that he sustained a broken nose, a forehead laceration that required stitches and damage to nasal sinus cavities. Reconstructive surgery will include the insertion of a titanium plate into his forehead that will stabilize the broken bone. The plate will remain there.

“We’re getting through, one day at a time,” Myra McCoy said Monday from Austin’s bedside at Sycamore.

“I’m glad that it wasn’t any worse than it was. It seemed really bad at the time, but everything can always be worse. We’re hoping for a full recovery.”

McCoy will not play again this season and will need three-to-four months for recovery.

The game resumed after a long delay with Fairborn winning, 69-55.

Fairborn athletic director Jon Payne said that seven Skyhawks will serve one-game suspensions for leaving their bench during the incident. Those players will miss tonight’s game against visiting Troy at Memorial Fieldhouse. The reserve game has been canceled because many of those players will fill the varsity vacancies.

The freshmen will play at 6 p.m., followed by the varsity.

In addition, Fairborn’s Billy Jackson received two technical fouls during Friday’s game. As mandated by the Ohio High School Athletic Association, he is ineligible to play in Fairborn’s next two games.

Two Miamisburg players also will serve one-game suspensions for leaving the bench area. The Vikings host Bellbrook tonight. None of the players who received one-game suspensions were identified.

The incident was sparked after several players from both teams dove for a loose ball. Members of Fairborn’s team left the bench area and headed toward the scrum and immediately were followed by a large contingent of court-side spectators.

McCoy initially was involved in the loose-ball pileup. He was struck while he retreated, according to Vikings coach Tim Fries. None of the players from either team appeared to be fighting, he said.

“The sickest feeling that I’ve ever had was counting jerseys and realizing that we’re missing one and then to see (McCoy) sitting across the gym on the floor,” Fries said.

“To say we were shaken, well, we’ve got kids who are absolutely crushed right now. It was wacky. Very scary; very bad.”

Fries said that he and a Vikings trainer stopped McCoy’s bleeding.

“When we were out there (McCoy) asked what time’s practice (on Saturday),” Fries said. “He’s just unreal.”

No technical fouls were called from either of the three officials as the result of the melee or players leaving the bench.

Greater Western Ohio Conference Commissioner Eric Spahr said that he and school officials reviewed film of the incident to determine their courses of action. Spahr said anyone who left the bench will be suspended one game.

“We’re going to be proactive on this,” he said. “There will be additional discipline served once the investigation is complete.

“Fairborn is doing everything that they can to make sure that they take care of the situation. This could very easily happen anywhere. It was just a couple kids and it just takes a couple things to ignite a crowd.”

Payne said that three security guards were at the game and at least five Fairborn administrators were courtside. That’s about average for Fairborn home games, he said.

“We’ll meet again (today) on how to move forward with (security for) the remaining games,” Payne said. “We’ve talked about a bunch of different scenarios and a bunch of different ways of taking care of things.

“It’s not something that all of the people at Fairborn City Schools want to be known for. It’s just not who we are or who we want to be.”

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