Police decide punishments over wild brawl at Pennsylvania high school basketball game that sparked chaos
By ISABEL BALDWIN and ALEX RASKIN
Published: 15:11 EDT, 12 March 2025 | Updated: 16:22 EDT, 12 March 2025
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A wild brawl during a high school boys' basketball game in rural Pennsylvania has led to seven individuals being criminally charged.
The courtside bust-up broke out among the crowd during the final minutes of the fourth quarter of the matchup between Meadville Area Senior High School and Uniontown Area High last Friday evening.
Meadville City Police Department has now confirmed to DailyMail.com that seven men have been charged over the involvement in the melee.
Reginald Grooms, 44, from Uniontown, and an unidentified 16-year-old boy, also from Uniontown, have both been charged with simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct.
Notorious Grooms, 18, from Uniontown, Malik Wilson, 25, Joseph Chabot, 37, and two unidentified 16-year-olds , all from Meadville, were charged with counts of disorderly conduct.
'With approximately 3min left in the 4th quarter of the game, a melee broke out in the stands and on the court. Meadville City Police Officers in attendance called for assistance and upon the arrival of additional units the situation was quickly brought under control with no serious injuries reported,' a statement from Chief Michael Stefanucci read.
The incident took place Friday at Meadville Area Senior High School, an hour south of Erie
Fans are seen trying to get away from combatants during Friday's brawl in Meadville
'The Meadville City Police Dept. would like to thank the Crawford Central School District and their employees that assisted the police during this incident. We would also like to thank the large majority of players and spectators that acted responsibly during this incident.'
The incident took place at Meadville Area Senior High School, which is about an hour's drive south of Erie, Pennsylvania.
Visiting from nearly three hours away along the West Virginia border, Uniontown Area High was trailing 63-55 with 3:12 to play in the fourth quarter when one of the school's players was whistled for a technical foul.
But when Meadville stepped to the line to attempt a free throw, a commotion began behind the school's bench, as seen in footage from UHS Talk .
'Uh-oh, you've got some fans coming over on the bench here,' one of the broadcasters said in the clip that has since gone viral.
A chaotic scene quickly unfolded as both schools' supporters began throwing punches and pushing each other. One man dressed in Uniontown's white-and-burgundy color scheme was tackled and subsequently had his sweatpants pulled down as he pummeled another grownup.
The fracas extended onto both ends of the court, where players and fans alike got into the melee.
The brawl ultimately poured out onto both ends of the court on Friday in Meadville
Players and parents can be seen holding back one Uniontown teammate on Friday
However, many of those who rushed the court were attempting to calm the violence as parents could be seen separating the combatants.
'Now, you've got an all-out fight. You've got an all-out fight in the stands right now. This is getting ugly. Not what you want to see at a high school basketball game,' the announcer said. 'You've still got people coming loose on the court. What is going on and what is wrong with these people.'
In response, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has ruled the playoff game ends in a double-forfeit, with neither Uniontown or Meadville advancing to the second round of the postseason. Furthermore, the PIAA has also ordered the schools to submit security plans to prevent similar incidents from occurring, while players and coaches are being required to complete a sportsmanship seminar.
And any spectator known to have been involved in the brawl is banned from any school-sponsored events until June of 2026.
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