Indiana HS football teams put on probation after fight

A fight that ended an Indiana high school football game last week has landed the two teams on probation for the remainder of the 2015-16 season.

Indiana High School Athletic Association Commissioner Bobby Cox announced the sanctions this afternoon. Six players — four from Michigan City High School and two from South Bend Washington High School — were suspended for the next game. One assistant coach from South Bend Washington has been suspended indefinitely.

Each player must complete the sportsmanship course offered by the National Federation of State High School Associations, and schools must provide certification of completion. The assistant coach will be required to take the “teaching and role modeling behavior” course offered by the NFHS.

“Sportsmanship is still a primary focus of the IHSAA,” Cox said. “Incidents of this nature erode the interscholastic experience for everyone involved. I applaud both schools for proactively meeting at Michigan City High School the next day to discuss the incidents of the game and formulate future plans to eliminate undesirable behaviors.”

Just before halftime of last week’s game, a Washington player was penalized for a late hit out of bounds. A fight quickly escalated, and police were forced to break up the fight after failed attempts by officials and coaches.

Cox said the game will be treated as a forfeit by both sides.