By KCRA Staff
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STOCKTON, Calif. (KCRA) — Thirty-two high school football students were suspended after fighting or clearing benches during a fight Thursday night at a Stockton school, authorities said.
The fight occurred at Cesar Chavez High School, a Stockton Unified School District school, and Tokay High School, which is part of the Lodi Unified School District.
The Sac-Joaquin Section of the California Interscholastic Federation said many players left the sideline during a fight in the game between Tokay High School and Cesar Chavez High School. Under CIF statutes, all 32 players were suspended for at least the next three games.
“The Stockton Unified School District recognizes the value and importance of athletic activities for our students. We also recognize the importance of sportsmanship and teamwork,” Stockton Unified said in a statement to KCRA 3. “We agree with and support the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) as we affirm honor policies.”
Lodi Unified also responded to the fight between the two schools.
“Tokay High supports the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Victory with Honor policies and all CIF bylaws regarding sportsmanship and player conduct. All students involved in the Friday night event have received appropriate consequences,” Lodi Unified said in its statement.
While it is not known how many players actually participated in the fight, the CIF statutes also penalize players who come off the bench during a fight.
According to CIF, these are the punishments applicable to the participants in Thursday’s fight:
First Ejection: Player (Fighting/Aggressive Behavior/Serious Unsportsmanlike Conduct) is ineligible to participate in the next three (3) to six (6) team contests as determined by the CIF Section Commissioner having jurisdiction over the matter. The player may remain on the bench for the duration of that match and may be on the bench in street clothes for the duration of the suspension. If the season concludes before the player completes the full suspension, he or she will be ineligible for the number of games remaining on the suspension for the team’s next season. If the player is a senior, he or she will be ineligible for the number of contests remaining on the suspension for his or her next season of sport.
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