NLL Boys Basketball match-up ends in brawl

NLL Boys Basketball match-up ends in brawl

Max Roof
eSomethin staff

A key Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division matchup between the Perrysburg Yellow Jackets and Whitmer Panthers was cut short due to a fight started by Whitmer players, resulting in an ugly ending to the game at Perrysburg High School.

After discussions between Whitmer coach Anthony Stacey, Perrysburg police, and school officials, the game was called with 19.7 seconds remaining, following an on-court brawl. Officials informed coaches and teams that players who fought might face two-game suspensions as a result.

Perrysburg assistant coach Chris Stein said, “It was very unfortunate that such a great high school game had to end the way it did. I give a lot of credit to the Perrysburg police department, administrators, parents, and coaches for the quick action they took to quell the situation. I also give credit to the Whitmer staff and administration who acted quickly.”

“That being said, we lost Braylon Foster for the year due to a broken finger and two players for two games for leaving the bench. We have discussed the situation with the players and will learn from this unfortunate incident. I should also say, our players were very disciplined considering what was going on. No punches were thrown, and most were trying to play peacemaker.”

Perrysburg center sophomore Braylon Foster said, “I don’t want to talk about the fight at this time, but I’m pumped that we were able to come back after the loss in the beginning of the season to beat Whitmer. I wanted to give a thank you to all my coaches, friends and teammates who have been there for me through this time. Next year I’m gonna be back and better than ever!”

During the matchup, the Yellow Jackets were led by senior Carter Young, with support from four sophomores Braylon Foster, Brady Maxwell, Adam Gray, and Ben Pamer. These sophomores have been making a name for themselves as part of the Class of 2027 basketball players at Perrysburg. 

Pamer scored 18 points against Whitmer, while Adam Gray and Braylon Foster weren’t far behind, scoring 16 and 14 points, respectively.

Before this matchup, the tension was high from the last time the Jackets played the Panthers, when they lost 63-59. 

Stein said, “The first time we played Whitmer was very early in the season. We were still working on the chemistry of the team and our identity. Forty days later, when we played them the second time, we had since been involved in seven games decided by less than ten points. Players understood their roles. We shot the ball better, our defense stepped up, and we executed our game plan extremely well.  The maturity across the board was phenomenal.”

The Jackets and Panthers are now tied for first place in the Northern Lakes League Buckeye Division. Perrysburg holds an 11-3 overall record and is 4-1 in league play, while Whitmer is 9-7 overall, also with a 4-1 league record as of the publication of this article.

Stein said, “Our players are pumped for the rest of the season. Guys have to step up and put the team first (which we have done all year). Because we are unselfish and work together, we will continue to get better. Teams we play always give us their best shot, so every game is a big game. We want to focus on the next one in front of us and hopefully make a long tournament run in a very tough district.”

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