fighting crossroads v. lincoln

SoCalHoops Recruiting News

A Word On The Crossroads v.
Lincoln Game--(March 10, 2000)

Some people have written to us about the account this game which is contained in our Daily Article which recaps the boys' semifinals from last night. Please understand that we weren't personally at the game (but instead attended the Bishop Montgomery v. Centennial game) and thus we really have no first hand knowledge of anything that transpired, other than what some of our friends in attendance communicated, what the papers reported. Accounts of a fight or altercation contained in the Daily Article comes from other published media reports contained in the San Diego papers (either the North County Times, the Union-Tribune, or a combination of the two); the LA Times account of the game, consisting of about two lines, referred to an incident, but didn't elaborate (if memory serves correctly). . . We've received some e-mails from both teams, each side claiming that the other was responsible for starting whatever altercations took place. . . . Look, we really don't know, and as things stand now, it doesn't much matter who may have started a fight. It won't make one bit of difference, and it won't change the score.

Needless to say, we know a lot of the players on both teams and have watched some for several years, and while all of these guys play intensely, are proud, tough and strong, we don't think that any of them would actively try to instigate an altercation that could lead to ejections. . . maybe some of them need to tone down the intensity a bit, but you're talking about 15, 16 and 17 year old kids. . . .and this was a huge game. There were officials present from the CIF, security cops, referees, and administrators from both schools present as well. Clearly any issues affecting the outcome of the game, including player ejections, were dealt with at the time. From what we've read and heard, while tempers flared, the game was concluded and order restored.

To those persons posting message about either school, it's players, coaches and the like, who feel some moral imperative to condemn whole programs because of some youthful indiscretion in the heat of the moment at a basketball game, we'd simply ask you all to take a deep breath, think and before posting, remember that you're talking about kids, about two fine schools and successful coaches. You might also remind yourselves that while basketball is just a game, it is also contact sport. . . and while sometimes things get a bit physical, in this case no punches were thrown, no one was ejected, and life will go on. . . . to the extent there were "behavior issues" with players, coaches or fans, we're certain that the individual programs will deal with them accordingly.

Finally, and not to belabor the point, we want to extend our congratulations to Crossroads, which now moves on to the Southern Regional finals tomorrow, and to Lincoln we also want to congratulate them on a fine season with a solid group of young players returning.

Enough said.