Maryland high school football game ends early due to bench-clearing fight
The football teams at Northwest High School and Gaithersburg High School broke out into a game-ending fight Sept. 16.
The head football coach at a Maryland high school, who is reportedly charged with assault in connection with a game-ending brawl last month, is speaking out about the weeks since the large fight.
Northwest High School football coach Travis Hawkins tweeted about the incident for the first time Monday morning, writing a thread about his feelings since his team and the Gaithersburg High School football team fought during a game on September 16.
"It’s been 24 days since the incident that took place at Gaithersburg high school. I’ve been left in the dark wondering when I’ll get back to coaching my kids. For the first time in my life I’ve been stripped away from something that has always been an outlet to me.
"Something that at times I felt was the only thing that loved me the way I loved it. I’ve been trying to protect my mental health, some days are a lot harder than others. I’ve been very respectful throughout this process thinking it was something that would be acted on swiftly with video evidence of what transpired. I’m sick and tired, of being sick and tired. It’s time for me to speak."
MARYLAND HIGH SCHOOLS PUT FOOTBALL ON HOLD FOLLOWING GAME-ENDING FIGHT: 'ABHORRENT AND UNACCEPTABLE'
Football players at Gaithersburg High School and Northwest High School in Maryland fight during a game on September 16. (@Kdub_335/Twitter)
Hawkins is charged with assaulting William C. Gant, the athletic director at Gaithersburg High School, according to Fox 5 DC.
The outlet also found that Gant filed an assault charge against Northwest's volunteer assistant football coach Justin Watson.
The Maryland Case Search database showed the date of both assault charges as September 16, the same day of the fight.
Hawkins reportedly told Fox 5 that he is aware of the assault charge filed against him, but he did not have anything else to say.
PHILADELPHIA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT DEAD, 4 OTHERS INJURED IN SHOOTING AFTER FOOTBALL SCRIMMAGE
Authorities at Gaithersburg High School in Maryland try to break up fights following a football game Sept. 16, 2022. (FOX 5)
Gaithersburg police also said four juveniles have been charged with assault, and one 19-year-old man from Germantown is charged with second degree assault, mutual affray, disorderly conduct, intoxicated endanger and failure to obey lawful order.
The fight, which led to additional scuffles outside the stadium, resulted in the temporary suspension of both high school's football programs.
It is unclear what prompted the on-field fight in the first place, but it caused the game to end in the third quarter.
John Harvill Stadium at Gaithersburg High School in Maryland a day after a large brawl broke out during a football game. (FOX 5)
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Hawkins and Watson both have a preliminary hearing set for early November.
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