This time it is against a basketball official in Florida:
(fast forward to 1:24)
[yt=425,350]AgxjZIN2PAE[/yt]
Story:
http://scc.eed.sunnewspapers.net/Olive/ODE/charlotte_sun/LandingPage/LandingPage.aspx?href=U0NDLzIwMTAvMTIvMTQ.&pageno=MjY.&entity=QXIwMjYwMQ..&view=ZW50aXR5ALL SYSTEMS STOP
Game halted after DeSoto player gets physical with ref
By ROB SHORE
SPORTS WRITER
ARCADIA — A basketball game between DeSoto County and Port Charlotte turned violent when Bulldogs forward Mason Holland threw a game official to the floor before teammates could pull him away on Monday night.
The incident ended Holland’s season and might end his time as a student at the school, and the senior could also be facing charges as a result.
“I’ve coached 40 years and never seen anything close to that,” DeSoto County basketball coach Joe Sheridan said.
Additional DeSoto County sheriffs were summoned to the scene of the contest, which was called with Port Charlotte leading 27-21 with 2:15 left in the second quarter.
But the result wasn’t the main plot point of the contest.
With 2:15 left just before halftime, Holland was whistled for a foul as he brought the ball up the court. The senior reacted with a comment and he was issued a technical, then ejected from the contest.
The ejection stunned Holland for a moment, then he charged the official and grabbed him around the chest before throwing him to the ground.
The reaction stunned everyone in the gym, and teammates pulled Holland away. The officials called the contest moments later, refusing to go on for safety concerns.
Sheridan, a first-year coach for DeSoto County, was also shocked by the events.
“I don’t teach this — I teach boys to be men,” he said. “I apologize for his behavior to the school and the community. That young man will never play again here at DeSoto.”
A game official declined to give the names of the officials working the contest, but the crew came from the Coral Coast Basketball Officials Association, which regularly works games at Charlotte and Port Charlotte.
Up to Monday night, the 6-foot-4 Holland had been one of the top players for the Bulldogs. He shined in a 59-46 victory over rival Hardee on Dec. 7, finishing with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
But that promise evaporated in a split-second of rage.
As DeSoto County’s senior center James Green left the gym, Sheridan called him over and said, “Remember, you’re not him.”
DeSoto County High School might also see a fine or sanctions from the FHSAA as a result of the incident.
“It would be a school’s worst nightmare,” DeSoto County athletic director Jarrett Zolkos said. “It’s not something you’d ever want to see.”
Port Charlotte coach Bill Specht didn’t see anything out of the ordinary leading up to the incident.
“I thought it was a pretty good game — a good physical battle between two pretty good ballclubs,” he said. “Both teams wanted to win. It was a good local ballgame.”
Port Charlotte started the game quickly. Junior guard Kaden Williams found his range early, hitting his first three shots (including a pair of 3-pointers) for eight points in a 13-3 gameopening Pirate run. Williams led Port Charlotte with a game-high 12 points.
The Bulldogs tried to chip away at the lead with their frantic pace and constant ballhawking. But Port Charlotte got some breathing room when Corey Collins hit a 3-pointer at the end of the first quarter. It was initially ruled that Collins’ shot hadn’t beaten the buzzer, but that was overruled.
DeSoto County twice pulled within two points, the last time at 22-20 on a 3-pointer by Kavaris Polk. But the Bulldogs’ ballhawking ways began to be costly with the team in the double-bonus early.
It even led to a technical foul on William White with 3:16 left before halftime. About a minute later, the game was overt.
