NFHS
Making the state tournament as a high school athlete is the culmination of years of hard work of kids who, in many cases, have been playing together since they were kids. The games are usually packed, and memories are made to last a lifetime.
But, things went terribly wrong in a state playoff game in Pennsylvania on Friday between Meadville and Uniontown in the first round of the PIAA AAAAA Boys Basketball Tournament. A close game in the 4th quarter was ended when a huge brawl broke out involving both players and fans, and it’s resulted in an unprecedented double forfeit.
The game, which took place at Meadville Area High School, had tightened up after Meadville had built a 19-point second-half lead. But, then, this happened.
🔥🏀 INTENSE CHAOS ALERT! 🏀🔥
Tonight’s state playoff game between Uniontown and Meadville took a shocking turn as tempers flared in the stands! What should have been an epic showdown on the court escalated into a full-blown brawl, with emotions running high and tensions… pic.twitter.com/29QQKe1z6p
— Western Pennsylvania Prep Basketball Report (@WPPBballReport) March 8, 2025
The game was immediately stopped, and initially, reported as a win for Meadville. But, PIAA, the governing body of high school sports in Pennsylvania, immediately deleted a tweet claiming such, and said they would release a ruling on Monday. They did just that.
Due to the blatant violations of the PIAA bylaws, the Meadville vs. Uniontown basketball game will be recorded as a forfeiture for each team.
The PIAA publicly censures both schools for their actions in the March 7, 2025, PIAA first-round inter-district basketball contest held at Meadville High School against Uniontown Area High School.
Both schools are removed from the PIAA inter-district basketball tournament and are suspended from participation for the remainder of the 2024-25 basketball tournament.
Both schools are also removed from the 2025-26 PIAA basketball inter-district basketball tournament unless the following provisions are adhered to:A plan of action will be submitted to the PIAA detailing what processes are in place to prevent situations like this from occurring in the future. School-submitted action plans are due by Wednesday, March 19, 2025.
All players for the 2025-26 school year will complete the NFHS sportsmanship module.
All coaches in the 2025-26 basketball program will complete the NFHS sportsmanship and the teaching and modeling behavior modules.
The identified spectators from each school whose identities are known to school administration are to be banned from attendance at any and all school-sponsored activities until June 15, 2026.
Each school is reprimanded for not addressing the unsportsmanlike behavior of their spectators, which is a direct violation of the PIAA bylaws as detailed in Article I, Section 5, “Spectators,” of the PIAA bylaws.
– PIAA Staff
Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc.
For what is believed to be the first time in PIAA history, there is a double forfeit in the state playoffs. The seasons for both of these teams is over.
Flat-out, people need to start acting better at youth sporting events. There’s an epidemic of poor behavior around the country, and it’s simply unacceptable.