Scott McCorkle of Capistrano Valley High School and Eric Cramer of Mission Viejo both wanted the loose ball Friday night.
With 3 minutes 49 seconds left to play, possession of the ball was important to McCorkle. And it was an absolute necessity to Cramer, whose team was trailing by 12 points.
McCorkle got the ball.
Cramer got McCorkle.
In just a few seconds--the time it took for Cramer to slap at the ball and hit McCorkle in the face--the rivalry between the two schools went from heated to violent.
Incidents such as Friday night's fight are no longer out-of-the ordinary; they have increased locally and nationwide. Now, they often involve fans as well as players--the fight in the Capistrano Valley-Mission Viejo game involved players from both teams and approximately 25 fans.
It was the second altercation in as many games involving Capistrano Valley. Two nights earlier, the Cougars' game against San Clemente was interrupted by a fight between players. The fight also was reported to involve a San Clemente fan.
"We're the bad boys of the league and sometimes we have to defend ourselves," McCorkle said.
In theory, high school athletics are based on sportsmanship. Play hard, but play fair and then shake hands when the game is done.
But too often these days, hotter heads have prevailed. Administrators and coaches believe the time has come to re-emphasis sportsmanship.
"I think we take it for granted and assume everyone will buy into the idea of sportsmanship," said Corona del Mar principal Tom Jacobson, president of the Southern Section's executive committee. "In doing that, we've kind of let it slip away."
There have been seven major incidents during or after high school games in the Southern Section this season, a significant rise, according to Dean Crowley, the section's associate commissioner. Of the seven, four have been in Orange County, including the fight in the Capistrano Valley-Mission Viejo game.
--On Oct. 28, the football game between Brea-Olinda and Sonora was called with 1:08 left because of a fight between players.
--On Jan. 12, there was a fight between Servite fans and St. Paul players after a game at Servite.
--On Jan. 12, a referee was allegedly assaulted by an adult after a basketball game between Fullerton and Sunny Hills.
There have other violent incidents throughout the Southern Section.
