The Georgia High School Association announced this morning that it had suspended 39 Gainesville football team members following the Brunswick-Gainesville Class 5A second-round game last Friday.
Gainesville was leading 42-0 with 1:57 to go in the third quarter when the fight broke out. In the videos circulating on various social media platforms, players from both sides left the sidelines.
Gainesville Superintendent Jeremy Williams confirmed the school will be appealing the decision, which is tentatively scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday.
GHSA director of media relations Marvin James said the GHSA is working to “gather the board of trustees for a meeting tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, several people interested in the situation have asked what happens to Brunswick. James released an official statement on Monday.
“[GHSA] Executive Director, Tim Scott, is prioritizing emphasis on Gainesville because they have a game to play in a few days,” he said. “There is an appeal request on the table, and now we are attempting to gather the board of trustees for a meeting tomorrow. The results of the investigation and how it will affect Brunswick are forthcoming, but secondary at the moment because they have been eliminated from playoff contention.”
In a video, published by WSAV out of Savannah, Ga., the altercation on the field seems to begin when a Brunswick player ripped the helmets off two Gainesville players, then punched one. Also in the video, another Brunswick player sprints from one end of the field to the 50-yard line and runs through a Gainesville player. That’s when both sidelines began to rush the field. Coaches and players are seen on video trying to break up the fight on the field.
Gainesville is set to travel to Langston-Hughes on Friday in the quarterfinals of the Class 5A playoffs.
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