A high school basketball game in Georgia ended with an unfortunate scene earlier this month. Police are investigating an on-court altercation between Sonoraville and Rockmart in Calhoun.
Video of the incident shows a player punch two different opponents in the face after the alleged use of a racial slur.
The two schools are separated by approximately 40 miles in the northwestern part of the Peach State, not too far outside of Atlanta. Both high school basketball teams are not very good. The Yellowjackets are 3-16. The Phoenix are 8-12. They played each other over the holiday break on Friday, Jan. 3.
At some point during the second half, a Rockmart player shoved a Sonoraville player to the floor. The Sonoraville player was then met with a vicious right hook when he stood to his feet.
As could be expected, that did not go over well with the Phoenix so they rushed to their teammate’s defense. However, the Yellow Jackets player who threw the initial haymaker was not finished with his rampage. He connected on a second (and potentially third) punch that knocked a second, entirely different player to the ground.
The video ends as the Rockmart player who delivered the blows is escorted off of the court by a coach. Meanwhile, the first Sonoraville player was still down on his stomach while holding his face.
Multiple parents rushed from the stands onto the court after he was removed.
SO THIS IS THE FIGHT THAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT AT THE #SONORAVILLE VS #ROCKMART BASKETBALL GAME….. WOW!!!! THE OTHER CALLED HIM THE N-WORD BROUGHT TO YOU BY #FIRETHATMFSPORTS#racism Still Exist Wake up pic.twitter.com/EJb1p4F8oC
— Nappyxrasta (@NappyxOfficialP) January 6, 2025
According to the Gordon County Sherrif’s Office incident report, the 16-year-old Rockmart student was triggered by the repeated use of a racial slur. His opponent allegedly “kept calling him the N-word and he lost his temper.” The report does not say whether the Sonoraville player admitted to using the language.
Neither Sonoraville nor Rockmart has issued a formal statement about the situation. Local police continue to investigate the incident. The assailant faces two charges of simple battery.