By Michael A. Lough

The Sports Report

centralgasports@gmail.com

The GHSA and Bibb County Schools officials will look into a fight that ended Friday night’s Southwest-Northeast game at Thompson Stadium early in the third quarter.

Northeast led 30-8 when the incident started, the game begin ended by officials within about 10 minutes.

The fight and early suspension of play were first reported in social media posts by WGXA-TV’s Carlos Stephens (at 9:42 p.m.) the Macon Melody (at 10:47 p.m.) and then The Central Georgia Sports Report at 12:37 a.m.

Here is video from the National Federation of High Schools (NFHS Network) feed.

The Melody’s game story, posted shortly after midnight, had more details, and Stephens posted a statement from the Bibb County School District just after midnight acknowledging the incident.

Both WMAZ and WMGT were at the game, but neither’s late-night wrapup shows noted the fight or early ending of the game, but both posted stories online Saturday afternoon, WMAZ confirming that the GHSA would conduct an investigation, and another statement from the school district reiterating what it stated Friday night (posted in The Sports Report’s roundup).

The game had plenty of flags, separating of players, and emotion that came to a head a few minutes into the third quarter, Northeast leading 30-8.

Southwest had the ball on its 39-yard line when Patriots quarterback Chase Dupree, son of head coach Joseph Dupree, took a shotgun snap and roamed around looking for a receiver.

As he moved to the right of the pocket, Northeast linebacker Rashard Fry charged in from pass coverage, and leveled Dupree with a hard hit that appeared qualified for a targeting call – he launched slightly to hit Dupree in the shoulders/head area - with the play ending near the Northeast sideline.

Thompson Stadium is Northeast’s home stadium, but on Friday, the Raiders were the visitors.

Dupree was clearly hurt immediately, and Southwest coaches and trainers rushed onto the field.

The week’s coverage

🏈 HS FB roundup: Fight ends Northeast-Southwest in third quarter; rivalry wins for Dodge County, Peach County, Mary Persons; Jasper County and FPD roll; weather interrupts again
🏈 Central Georgia high school football scouting reports
🏈 HS FB: Maxwell predictions
🏈 Who's going to win this week's Central Georgia high school football games?
🏈 HS polls: Central Georgia teams in GHS Football Daily composite ranks, top area teams in state Maxwell computer rankings
🏈 Monday Morning Quarterback: Teams in transition deserve patience from the peanut gallery; Surprises; Loughdmouthings
🏈 FYI Friday: A potpourri, a gumbo of items you can win bets with, or just be happy to be smarter after reading: Central Georgia's winningest HS football coaches
🏈 Central Georgia high school football preseason guide

A Southwest offensive lineman appeared mildly push Fry as the NFHS video feed cut away for an automated replay, and returned to show Southwest coaches addressing the Northeast sideline while a trainer tended to Chase Dupree.

Amid a collection of coaches and some players, some sort of contact appears to be made, based on the sudden reaction of players and coaches.

That’s when several Northeast players approached the circle, followed a few seconds later by a group of Southwest players leaving the sideline.

Most of the officials were outside of the heated discussion and backing away as it escalated.

Players from both teams scuffled, with some players being tackled, some taking their helmets off.

The actual physical confrontation between player and some coaches and/or staff was spread out, and lasted about 30 seconds before the players separated and moved toward their sidelines.

The field itself was cleared of players, although it’s difficult to tell how much security was on the field, and Dupree and Northeast head coach Jeremy Wiggins talked briefly.

Southwest huddled momentarily near its sideline, then headed to the locker room. Northeast remained on its sideline, while Dupree was animated in expressing himself to officials, Wiggins, then county athletics director Kevin Grooms, who had just entered the field.

Then, barely five minutes after it all started, Northeast headed to its locker room.

Officials began another conference by themselves as the public address announcer told fans the game was over and to exit the complex.

Northeast returned to the field for a postgame huddle as officials departed.

From the play to officials leaving the field lasted barely 10 minutes. No fans appeared to have been involved in anything.

Southwest visits Dublin on Friday while Northeast hosts Washington County at Thompson Stadium.