Amidst the excitement of a comeback victory for the Holbrook Roadrunners in the fourth quarter of the state championship basketball game, things took an ugly turn between a few fans.
Through social media, such as pictures posted on Facebook, and heated online arguments regarding the cause, the incident was brought into the spotlight. Holbrook Superintendent Robbie Koerperich and Fountain Hills Superintendent Bill Myrh both provided statements regarding the incident, and both noted that law enforcement handled the matter.
Images posted online referenced by the superintendents show a group of young Fountain Hills fans making an obscene gesture to a man wearing a Sun Devils hat who reportedly had been rooting for Holbrook. They also show another adult pointing a finger and yelling at the man in the Sun Devils hat. An individual claiming to be the man pointing and yelling in the photographs contacted The Tribune-News and indicated that he was yelling in defense of a young Fountain Hills fan that he alleged was assaulted by the man in the Sun Devils hat.
Koerperich prefaced his statement by noting, “It is unfortunate that we are speaking on these conditions, but I wanted you all to know that we are fully supporting a speedy resolution to this situation. I understand the hard feelings that have been instilled in people by the images that have circulated. Although our staff at HUSD No. 3 (Holbrook Unified School District) is unaware of all the details of the scenario, as we were located on the opposite end of the facility and did not associate this event with our student body, we have heard a variety of stories from witnesses.
“Our goal at HUSD No. 3 is to ensure all parties are safe and healthy so we can move forward in celebrating our championship season. We regret that something like this situation is detracting from the real purpose of high school sports, which is to celebrate the successes of the student-athletes that participated in this very special event…
“The Holbrook Unified School District would like to congratulate the Holbrook Roadrunners and the Fountain Hills basketball teams for an outstanding Class 3A State Championship game on Feb. 26. The game was exciting, competitive and captured the essence of what high school sports is all about. The excitement, enthusiasm, and energy that filled Jobbing.com were amazing, regardless of who won the event. The outcome will be a memory for sports fans for years to come. An instant classic!
“Unfortunately an incident during the game has detracted from the excitement of this outstanding championship game. At this time we are continuing to investigate the circumstances behind the distraction, as we are unaware of the identity of the participants in the altercations that occurred between fans of both teams. The Holbrook Unified School District supports and promotes positive behaviors and sportsmanship in all aspects of athletics and life. We will continue to promote sportsmanship from our student body and fans.
“We have confidence that this unfortunate situation will be dealt with appropriately by the proper authorities.
“The Holbrook Unified School District desires an expedited resolution to this situation to enable both schools to move forward with the education of all students.”
Superintendent Myhr indicated that he was a witness to the events. He states, “The Fountain Hills Unified School District congratulates the Holbrook Roadrunners on their great come-from-behind victory in defeating our Fountain Hills Falcons in the Arizona AAA State Championship game held on Saturday, Feb. 26. The Roadrunners displayed exceptional courage and perseverance in overcoming a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in bringing home to Holbrook the Gold Ball.
“As most of us know, the fourth quarter of the game involved a situation between a male adult and our Fountain Hills High School student section. As an eyewitness to the entire incident, I provided a statement for the police report and for tournament officials that involved two physical assaults on Fountain Hills High School students. All information has been forwarded to the proper authorities and a case number has been established. The assaults led to the crowd interaction and disruption leading to the photographs taken after the assault incidents found on the Internet.
“I want to be clear that this situation was promoted by ‘adults’ and not our students. I will personally be working with the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA), my Fountain Hills High School administrative staff and the Maricopa County Police Department on dealing with the adult issues that promoted and led to this incident. Though for the most part our students showed great restraint, our administrative team has determined consequences for students identified following the state AIA guidelines.
“Again, I congratulate Holbrook and their community for their hard earned championship victory. Our schools will meet again on the field of competition and sportsmanship will, as it did on the court of this great championship game, be the centerpiece for our students and our communities. I thank all of you for making this a ‘teachable’ moment for both our school communities involving all the events during and following the game.”
