GARFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio– Punishment is coming for students and football players involved in an ugly brawl at the Garfield Heights – Collinwood football game Friday night.
Four students in the stands were arrested and officially charged with disorderly conduct Tuesday afternoon.
Among them is Daquan Winfield, 18, of Cleveland, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School.
“There were a couple incidents that occurred in the stands. They were stopped immediately and those individuals were placed under arrest,” said Lt. Robert Byrne, with the Garfield Heights Police Department.
YouTube video captured the fight as it went down during the third quarter.
Both benches cleared after a late hit on the field.
SkyFOX was up in the air as the game was canceled and four students were arrested.
The Garfield Heights School District released a statement Tuesday saying 11 students in all, including seven football players, will face consequences for their role in the fight.
The statement reads, “The 4 non-athlete high school students are being reprimanded per Garfield Heights City Schools Board Policy. Five of the seven football players will be dealt with appropriately per the student handbook and the athletic department’s policy for sportsmanship and good conduct.
The other two individuals were suspended by the referees for their involvement, and are subject to Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) consequences. The Garfield Heights City Schools does not tolerate such behavior and is moving swiftly to deal with these students.
The Garfield Heights City Schools would like to thank all of the individuals who acted quickly to prevent further escalation of this isolated incident Friday evening. Preventative measures from a security aspect are currently being reviewed and finalized prior to Friday night’s football game.
The Garfield Heights City Schools continues to make safety and security its top priority for all, and will actively promote good sportsmanship between its players and visiting competitors.”
According to the Ohio High School Athletic Association, two players from Garfield and two players from Collinwood were ejected from the game as a result of the brawl.
All four students have been suspended one game.
Also, according to OHSAA, the game final is the score indicated at the time of the fight, 26-6, with the win for the Bulldogs.
Councilman Jeff Johnson represents a portion of Collinwood and said the students from Collinwood need punished, as well.
“It was an embarrassment to the Cleveland school district and our student athletes, not all of them, but the ones that participated in this fight,” said Councilman Johnson.
Johnson and Councilman Mike Polensek, who represents the other half, have asked for a investigation from the CMSD and the high school into who was involved.
Meantime, Garfield Heights is going over security measures at the stadium and Garfield Heights police will be adding additional patrols for this Friday night’s game against Berea-Midpark.
