High school football game in California ends prematurely as a fight breaks out between players

A California high school football game ended abruptly on Friday night when referees had to call it off early in the fourth quarter due to a fight.

The Fresno Central Grizzlies defeated the Justin Garza High School Guardians 40-0. Video of the incident showed a Guardians player ripping the helmet off a Grizzlies player's head and hitting him with it, the Fresno Bee reported.

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The game was between Fresno Central and Garza high schools.

The incident did not occur where the ball was.

The coaches of both teams managed to break up the scuffle, but the referees decided that enough was enough and ended the game with ten minutes left.

Central Unified Superintendent Ketti Davis issued a statement on the matter.

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“I want to assure our community that such behavior is not consistent with the sportsmanship values ​​we represent, and we are committed to handling this incident in accordance with our district's policies,” Davis said.

Davis thanked the coaches and staff for quickly defusing the incident.

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“Let us remember that this incident does not define who we are,” Davis added. “Together, we will continue to promote the values ​​of respect, sportsmanship and community that are true hallmarks of our district.”

The game ended early in the fourth quarter. (Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

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According to KFSN-TV, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is scheduled to meet with Central Unified officials on Monday regarding the incident.

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