Griffith High School boys basketball coach Gary Hayes doesn’t expect the punishment to change when the Indiana High School Athletic Association’s Review Committee hears the school’s appeal late next week.
But he’s happy the school board decided to pursue a remedy for what he believes is an excessive penalty for the brawl between the Panthers and the Hammond Wildcats during the Feb. 7 game in Griffith.
“I support an appeal,” Hayes said. “This was done fast, without any emotion.”
A news release from the school said the “district believes that a punishment is appropriate, but that sanctions are both unprecedented and overly severe. We have respectfully requested IHSAA review of the circumstances, with consideration of the pro-active, corrective actions taken by the district.”
On Friday, IHSAA Commissioner Bobby Cox wrote in an email that the hearing will be at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 20.
The IHSAA canceled the rest of the season for both Griffith and Hammond after a violent foul by Tim Echoles on Griffith’s Anthony Murphy in a game at Griffith Feb. 7. Murphy was slammed into a padded wall behind the basket on a breakaway with 5:32 left in the first quarter.
A melee broke out, with punches being thrown and fans and players drifting onto the floor. Echoles was ejected for what Hayes called the “hardest foul he’d ever seen.”
Cox ended the season for both teams Tuesday.
Hayes said he felt the punishment was determined before administrators and coaches from both schools arrived in Indianapolis to meet with Cox.
“We thought we were getting a hearing,” Hayes said. “There were four sheets of papers on the tables, our names were by them, he (Cox) came in and lectured us and it was over. We definitely weren’t the aggressor. I was hoping to say our piece. Nothing. I don’t even know why they called us down there.”
Hayes pointed out the melee lasted about four minutes and then it was under control. No one was hurt and there weren’t any punches thrown by parents.
He believes the video, which was shown on news sites across the country, “killed us.”
“If that didn’t get out, this wouldn’t have happened,” he said.
Hayes said Griffith took action immediately, suspending on Monday 10 players who were involved in the melee.
There has been an outpouring of support from fans, students and parents. A petition started in support of reducing the penalties at change.org had 1,949 signatures on it Friday.
According to Hayes, the IHSAA board, which consists of athletic directors from across the state, will meet at the end of the week to review the incident. Sectionals start on March 3. The regular season for most teams is over at the end of next week.
Hayes feels awful for the kids and the students, who were enjoying one of Griffith’s best seasons ever. The Panthers finished the year at 13-4.
“I thought we were in the business to help kids, not destroy them,” Hayes said. “This is really being harsh on our kids.”
Twitter:@MikeHuttonPT
