Here’s why two NC basketball state champions are forfeiting the rest of the regular season

Two North Carolina state championship basketball teams will forfeit their remaining regular-season games after a fight broke out a Charlotte high school last week.

Northside Christian’s boys’ and girls’ basketball teams, the 2022-23 NCISAA 1A state champions, will not finish the regular season after a fight broke out — with punches being thrown and both benches clearing — in the boys’ game on Jan. 26 at Hickory Grove.

Northside athletic director Donnell Rhyne said the girls’ players were not involved in the fight.

But all of the boys’ players, from both teams, who left the bench were suspended for the next game, per state rules. Those rules also call for any players caught fighting to serve a four-game suspension.

Northside’s boys (21-12) will forfeit a total of four games, but will be eligible to play in the postseason, according to NCISAA executive director Homar Ramirez.

Northside’s boys were credited with a 46-14 win against Hickory Grove. But the Knights forfeited Saturday’s game with Victory Christian. Northside’s girls lost to Victory Christian, 36-33, on Saturday.

On Monday, Northside Christian interim athletic director Donnell Rhyne told The Observer that the school decided to forfeit its remaining boys’ and girls’ regular-season games.

“It was the best thing for our school right now because of the incident that took place at Hickory Grove,” Rhyne said. “We talked to the state and they gave out (the one-game penalty) and we came together as a team and we felt it was best to wait for the state tournament.”

Hickory Grove athletic director Jim Rhodes said the incident occurred with less than a second left before halftime Friday night.

Rhodes said tensions had been building between the conference rivals throughout the game and that a Hickory Grove player fouled a Northside player who was attempting a shot at the buzzer. No foul was called and emotions exploded, Rhodes said.

Rhodes said punches were thrown, but none landed.

“In sports, sometimes it gets heated,” Rhodes said, “and it was a split-second decision. It was emotional and a foul was taken the wrong way and there were some words said and a couple punches thrown, but no punches landed. Luckily everybody was safe, and it was finished in a matter of seconds.”

Rhodes called the game at that point. He also said one of his players was serving the four-game suspension for fighting.

Rhodes said his team’s season would continue. Hickory Grove forfeited Saturday’s game with Metrolina Christian because it didn’t have enough players to play. Hickory Grove (4-19) was scheduled to host SouthLake Christian on Tuesday night.

“As far as Hickory Grove is concerned, we’re embarrassed that it happened, us being a Christian school,” Rhodes said. “We want to be able to take this situation, as a team, an athletic department and as a school, and be better moving forward, to learn from it. Our goal is to find out what we can to prevent anything like that from happening again. I think there’s lot of layers and people responsible for not letting it get to that point.

“We’re looking at every angle.”