A Friday night football matchup between Teays Valley and Logan High School was cut short after a bench-clearing altercation erupted midway through the second quarter, forcing officials to end the game early.
The Vikings were leading 34–0 with 10:27 remaining in the second quarter when the confrontation broke out. According to reports, tensions had been building throughout the first half as Teays Valley, the heavy favorite, controlled the game against winless Logan. Earlier issues happened when a Logan Player was ejected following a turnover.
The altercation began following a hard hit on a Logan player, after which a Teays Valley player reportedly stepped over the downed opponent. The Logan player responded by throwing a punch, sparking a chaotic scene as Logan Players and Teays Valley Coaches ran onto the field.
Officials immediately intervened but were unable to regain control of the situation. Following a lengthy discussion, referees decided to call the game early for safety reasons.
A game official, who identified himself on social media as the referee that night, provided additional context to the events. In his post, he claimed that tensions began earlier when Teays Valley allowed a special needs senior player to score a pre-arranged touchdown in the second quarter. The referee alleged that after the play, a Teays Valley lineman made an offensive remark, saying, “See even an R could score on you” toward Logan players, further escalating emotions on the field.
The referee wrote that both teams had been warned multiple times and that officials “did what we could to stop it, but they would have nothing of it.” He said about three-quarters of Logan’s players entered the field during the melee, prompting the officials’ decision to end the game.
He also noted that law enforcement was present before and during the game, suggesting that school officials may have anticipated potential issues. “We were escorted on and off the field by sheriff’s deputies before the game even started,” the referee stated.
Neither Teays Valley Local Schools nor Logan High School had issued an official statement as of Friday evening. The Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) is expected to review the incident, which could result in suspensions or other disciplinary actions for players or teams involved, but according to online rankings, Teays Valley finished the regular season 5-5 and 3-4 in the OCC-Buckeye. Logan finished 0-10 and 0-7 Teays Valley at a 5-5 record.
