A high school football game between defending 6A-Division II state champ DeSoto and back-to-back 5A-Divsion II state champ South Oak Cliff was called early on Saturday night as a fight broke out in the stands at the start of the fourth quarter at Dallas’ Kincade Stadium.
The altercation occurred between multiple DeSoto High School students when DeSoto was leading 54-14 with over six minutes remaining in the game. DeSoto ISD security broke up the fight, but the chaos caused a massive panic throughout the stadium.
“For my safety, I left,” Aro Nash, a videographer working at the game, told Fox 4 KDFW. “I didn’t want to be involved in it. … I heard a ruckus, so I kind of ran to the edge of the railing, and I looked down and saw everybody running this way.”
DeSoto’s video feed shows both teams sprinting off the field into their locker rooms with security escorts due to rumors that a gun was present.
According to Sports Illustrated’s Texas high school affiliate, SBLive, a spokesperson for Dallas ISD said that someone shouted, “gun,” causing many spectators to scatter.
Police arrived quickly but did not arrest anyone as no weapon was found. The cause of the altercation was not revealed.
No police report was filed, according to Fox 4, and there will be no additional investigation into the incident.
After things settled down, both head coaches agreed to call the game and focus on the rest of their respective seasons as they prepare to enter district play.
“It was pretty much a done deal,” DeSoto head coach Claude Mathis told The Dallas Morning News after the game. “We came to an agreement. District play is just around the corner. It wasn’t worth the risk. Our SROs and security team did a great job.”
DeSoto hosts Dallas Skyline on Friday, while South Oak Cliff plays one more non-district game against Parish Episcopal.
