It must officially be fall in the United States...after all, what's more American than leaves falling, sweatshirt weather, pumpkin spice lattes...and massive brawls outside of high school football games?
That's exactly what took place in Norristown, just miles outside of Philadelphia, where a fight at the Norristown Area High School's football stadium caused a game to be cancelled.
During the annual "Battle of the Bridge" varsity football game between Norristown and Upper Merion, no issues occurred inside the stadium. However, a "series of altercations" erupted in the parking lot at halftime on the 1900 block of Eagle Drive.
Five juveniles from Norristown Area High School were taken into custody, according to ABC News 6.
"That's a shame because it is a small group of individuals that went out into the parking lot and started to fight. So I mean people have to act responsible and parents have to be responsible," said West Norriton Police Chief Michael Kelly.
"We want to emphasize that these incidents were not as a result of any conflict between Norristown Area High School and Upper Merion Area High School," a statement said.
"Both schools share a commitment to sportsmanship and respect, and the actions of a few individuals do not reflect the values of our student-athletes and supporters," the statement continued.
The ABC News 6 report says that the game will continue on Saturday at 10 a.m. without any spectators and will be live-streamed, officials announced. Both school districts will meet with their police departments to discuss future football game security.
This isn't the first season with issues. Last year, a Cheltenham student brought a gun to the Abington-Cheltenham game, causing its suspension. This year, Abington has chosen not to play that game.
