Punches were thrown during a girls high school basketball game in Washington on Jan. 31, the second incident involving the Shelton High School athletic department over the last couple weeks.
During the game between Shelton and Aberdeen, two players were going after the ball when a scuffle ensued. The video of the incident appears to show the Aberdeen player reaching around the Shelton player’s neck to go for the ball, and the Shelton player reacted defensively and aggressively by tackling the opponent and throwing three punches before a teammate pulled her off. Local podcast The Scrimmage posted the video onto social media platform X:
This happened last night in an Aberdeen girls basketball win over Shelton.
We’re going to keep the names out of it (because they are high school kids), but the Shelton player was ejected, and the Aberdeen player was evaluated for injury and was able to return to the game. pic.twitter.com/gzXYCMJxGp
— The Scrimmage (@TheScrimmage) February 2, 2024
According to KIRO7, the Shelton player, who is 18 years old, was issued a criminal citation and will appear in front of a judge.
The player who was punched was evaluated for injury and able to return to the game, according to The Scrimmage. Aberdeen went on to win the game.
Just a day before, some parents at Shelton High School contacted KIRO7 about a different incident in which football players in a weight-lifting class took part in an “impromptu running drill.” Allegedly, the coach took student-athletes to the girls wrestling room to practice running the ball up the middle instead of taking it to the outside. In the drill, other students would tackle the person performing the drill, and there were allegedly no pads or helmets, parents who spoke to the outlet said.
Parents alleged that injuries included a concussion, a broken finger and a broken rib.
The police department told KIRO7 that it had not received any calls or reports about the incident.