Fight forces early end to football game

An altercation between at least two people at Warren County High School’s homecoming football game Friday night escalated into a melee that spilled onto the field and forced the early ending of the contest, according to school and sheriff’s office officials.

Pat Draffin, a spokesman for the Warren County School System said, to the best of his understanding, the fight broke out between two people who were at the game, then fears that a gun was involved prompted spectators to run onto the field during the fourth quarter of the game action to escape the fight.

“The fight itself never made it onto the field,” Draffin said. “The good thing for us is that no students were involved,” he said. “This was just a case, I think, of a couple of adults from outside, in the community, who had some differences with one another and decided to settle those differences at the football game.

“The unfortunate thing about all this is that rumors get started. We’ve already heard in the community rumors that there was a gun, there was a knife involved, and there weren’t.”

Warren County Sheriff Johnny Williams, whose deputies were working security at the game, said that is his understanding of what happened, although he added the case is still open.

“I can’t really say much because it’s still under investigation. I have deputies over there this morning (Tuesday) trying to collect more information, to see who might have been involved.”

He said two men were arrested, though he would not release their names. He said he would release no more information until the investigation was closed.

At the time of the incident, Warren County was leading 36-6. Draffin said the head coaches from both teams got together and, with the outcome of the contest already decided, opted to end the game rather than attempt to calm the fans and resume play.

Since there were no students involved, the school system does not anticipate any significant changes in game schedules or security measures.

Sheriff Williams, however, said he may implement a new policy that does not allow spectators to stand at the fence along side the playing field.

‘The fight started, in my opinion, because people were standing along the fence,” he said, declining to give additional details. “My deputies working the game will enforce that policy.”