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Students describe postgame melee; board hears athlete accounts
Summary
Students and a board member recounted a heated game against Riverview in which a shove escalated into a bench and stands confrontation; a student apologized for initiating contact and several players described stepping in to protect teammates.
The board heard accounts of a postgame altercation between Kiona-Benton student-athletes and Riverview players. A board member who reviewed video described seeing a shove that sparked a larger melee and said "our kids did not initiate it," adding that officials failed to control the situation. "It was ugly," the board member said, urging students to learn from the incident and follow coaches' instructions.
Gabriel Ramirez, a senior and varsity player, told the board he felt a "huge shove from the back," fell, and then was struck in the face by a player who came off the bench. "I just reacted in the moment... I didn't really honestly, I shouldn't went at the kid, so I just got up and then walked away," Ramirez said. Other students described stepping in to protect teammates; one player apologized for losing his temper and said he would try to control his anger in the future. The board did not record disciplinary actions at the meeting; it heard players' accounts and encouraged sportsmanship.
