“We want to make sure we send a proper message that type of behavior will not be tolerated,” Spahr said. “It will be the next two games for those individuals involved.
“We’re not going to stagger it. Both schools, with my discussions with their administrative teams, were very supportive of that. Whatever the numbers are in terms of what’s left, that’s what they’ll play with.”
Springfield played at Shawnee on Saturday night and hosts Tecumseh on Tuesday.
Wayne is at Fairmont on Tuesday and at Fairborn on Saturday.
The fight came with 4:04 left in the fourth quarter with Wayne leading 65-37. The game was declared official, Spahr said.
The GWOC Central Division contest was physical at times with hard fouls and rough scrambles for loose balls. Players on both sides appeared to be trash-talking. The apparent tipping point came when a Springfield player fouled a Wayne player, then got tangled up going for the loose ball in front of Springfield’s bench and student section.
Some students rushed the court to join the melee as coaches, game officials and on-site security rushed to separate the teams. Punches were allegedly thrown, which is something the GWOC and Springfield and Wayne school administrators are still looking into.
“We’re working together. We’re reviewing video,” Spahr said. “We’ll be looking at who came out of the stands, because there were quite a few people who came out of the stands. We’ll see what we can do to identify them and continue the investigation into that.
“It was an unfortunate situation. We’re all obviously embarrassed of it. It’s not representative or indicative of either school. We’ll review it and take necessary measures to discipline those involved, take corrective actions and move forward.”
After the game, players were held in their locker rooms until Springfield police officers could clear the high school.
Wayne coach Travis Trice declined to comment Saturday afternoon.
Springfield coach Isaiah Carson said he would try to use the fight as a teaching moment.
“Just don’t let your emotions control you. Just go out there and play ball the way it’s supposed to be played,” Carson said. “Compete within the lines. Play to win and try to do it the right way.”
Springfield High School campus director Jonathan Kuehnle and his staff is “investigating the entire matter today,” according to a press release from the school district. “As always, our goal is to provide a safe and secure environment where our students, staff and our community can learn and grow.”
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