Feb 13, 2018 3 min read

GREEN TREE – WPIAL executive director Tim O’Malley described the brawl between players and fans of Clairton and Monessen at a Feb. 6 basketball game as “awful.”

The punishment levied by the league’s board at a Monday afternoon hearing, reflected how seriously the WPIAL viewed the incident.

After an hourlong hearing, which was closed to the public, followed by a 45-minute discussion within the committee, the WPIAL levied a five-year probation to each school’s athletic program.

If any of their interscholastic teams violate that probation, the offense will result in the “denial of championship rights and a loss of scheduling for the two-year cycle” for the school, O’Malley said.

In addition to the probation, each player who left the bench during the fight will be suspended one game. Those one-game suspensions will be staggered at two-player intervals per game, still leaving each team with enough players to compete in the playoffs.

O’Malley said it’s up to the individual school to identify the players who came off the bench, beginning with the older players. That information also will need to be submitted to the WPIAL in writing.

“I think there was intent behind it,” O’Malley said of the reports submitted to the WPIAL from each school last Wednesday for review.

“It was ugly. It was alarming to the degree at which (the brawl) occurred. There were some that were hellbent on creating havoc.”

Monessen and Clairton also are limited to 30 adult presale tickets for the upcoming boys basketball playoffs. Those playoff games will be held at neutral sites, and will be the only game played at the particular location. Their opponents will have an unlimited number of presale tickets. No tickets will be sold at the gate.

“That’s the decision they made,” said Monessen athletic director Gina Naccarato. “We have to abide by the sanctions they gave us.”

The game that was ended by the brawl was ruled a no contest.

For the next two seasons, Clairton is required to play its home varsity boys basketball games at 4 p.m. Those games are open to the public.

If Monessen and Clairton are scheduled to play one another in boys basketball in the next two seasons, the games will take place at 4 p.m. with no fans permitted.

“I don’t think anybody could have envisioned as many people coming out of the seats in such a way that they did,” O’Malley said. “That can happen anywhere.”

The WPIAL basketball steering committee met Monday to create new sections in all classifications with the recent realignment so the two teams could be separated next season. If placed on opposite sides of the bracket, the two teams could meet in the Class A finals at the Peterson Events Center.

O’Malley said the restrictions would not be in place for that game.

“They can deal with the Pittsburgh police. We’ll be OK,” he said.