Stands Empty As Wild Brawl Breaks Out At Pittsburgh High School Game

Late in the fourth quarter of a game between Monessen High School and Clairton High School last night, players exchanged punches near the Monessen bench. The punch sparked an all-out brawl that an estimated 60 people were involved in before cops shut it down.

One police officer and one player were apparently treated for injuries, and Clairton police announced that they’ll be investigating the fight. One parent blamed rude fans for going after players.

“People were getting sucker-punched. I saw guys just getting picked off,” said Eric Fusco, a former Clairton football assistant coach. “The game was chippy from the start, but I didn’t think this was going to happen. People have said they should ban both teams from the playoffs. I don’t think that’s going to solve anything. I think the fans are way more guilty than the players. You can’t hold players responsible for what fans do.”

The above video isn’t exactly clear on what started the fight, though the alternate angle shows just how quickly people from the stands got involved. Firefighters were called to the arena to help ventilate after police used pepper spray to break up the fight.

The game was called off with 4:24 left in the fourth and Monessen up, 54-45.