Chaos erupted in North Carolina after the high school basketball game between North Mecklenburg and West Charlotte. The postgame handshake line devolved into a brawl.
It was an unfortunate end to a one-point game that was made even better by an electric environment.
This latest high school basketball incident started when a player pushed an opposing coach to the ground. Benches cleared. Coaches and parents rushed onto the court to try and break up the altercation.
North Mecklenburg and West Charlotte are heated rivals.
West Charlotte and North Mecklenburg are two of the top-ranked teams in North Carolina. The Lions are currently ranked No. 6 in the state at 15-3. The Vikings are ranked No. 8 at 16-3.
West Charlotte competes on the Class 8A level of competition with a total enrollment of approximately 1,700 students in Grades 9-12. North Mecklenburg enrolls approximately 2,000 students in Grades 9-12 on the 7A level of competition.
The Lions hosted the Vikings during this most recent matchup. The two campuses are separated by less than 10 miles.
It is a heated rivalry when both teams are good, like they are this season. Both communities showed out to create a rocking environment.
Fans were three- or four-deep on the baselines. The student section was packed and rowdy. Even Duke star Isaiah Evans was in attendance. It was a who’s who!
The game itself was an instant classic. North Mecklenburg defeated West Charlotte by a final score 69-64 to take sole possession of first place in the conference but the five-point differential does not reflect the back-and-forth, one-possession battle.
The North Carolina high school basketball game ended with a fight.
Unfortunately, the game did not end cordially. It started when two Vikings players tried to dunk on the Lions’ hoop long after the final buzzer, as fans, security and media climbed down onto the court.
And then an altercation broke out during the handshake line. A West Charlotte player got into a shoving match with a player from North Mecklenburg, which led both sides to converge on each other. The kerfuffle spilled over to the other side of the court. No punches were thrown. Nothing like that.
However, a West Charlotte player shoved North Mecklenburg assistant coach Clark Camp to the ground amid the fracas. It was not a good scene.
— – (@Spicoli_____) January 31, 2026
Fortunately, both sides were able to be separated before anyone got injured. Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools released the following statement:
I want to make you aware of an incident that occurred last night during the West Charlotte vs. North Mecklenburg High School basketball game. Following the game, an altercation involving several students and adults took place on the basketball court. CMSPD is actively investigating the situation in collaboration with both schools.
Please know that the safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority. We will continue to work closely with law enforcement as they complete their investigation. We ask that you speak with your child(ren) and remind them that disruptive behavior is unacceptable.
All actions will be addressed in alignment with CMS Student Code of Conduct expectations. While confidentiality laws prevent us from sharing specific disciplinary outcomes, please know that this type of behavior is not tolerated at our school or in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
I wanted to share this information in case your student(s) have questions about what they saw or heard. Thank you for your understanding and support as we work to maintain a safe and secure environment for all.
— Assistant communications officer Tom Miner
These two teams will play again in the last game of the high school basketball regular season on Feb. 13. The Lions will travel to the Vikings for the rematch.