Basketball game ends early because of fights

Disruptions, including fights, have been a problem at East and Chaney in
recent months.

YOUNGSTOWN — Fights erupted Friday at the East-Chaney high school basketball game, leading authorities to cancel the game late in the fourth quarter.

The score was 63-28 in favor of East High School when officials called the game with six minutes to play, according to students.

Students reported a fight between two girls broke out in the stands, though the rivalry between the two schools was not reported to be the cause.

School officials threatened to cancel the game when a mob of onlookers formed, according to witnesses.

Another fight was reported to have begun in the confusion, said 11th-grade East student Mose Fleetion.

School officials and police were still sorting out the details late in the evening and refused to comment.

After the incidents, nearly a dozen police units stood by while students waited peacefully for rides.

“Stop the violence,” said a student who did not want to be identified.

Youngstown police worked until after 8:30 p.m. to keep anyone else from entering East High School’s parking lot. At the Bennington Avenue intersection, cars were diverted away from the school. Parents were advised by police to come in from Bennington, one way.

Kids coming out said there was a fight or commotion inside but wouldn’t say much else. Many were leaving on foot and seemed to be in good spirits.

Disruptions, including fights, have been a problem at East and Chaney high schools in recent months. Police have said these included drug trafficking, vandalism and teacher abuse.

It’s the first school year in the new East or expanded and renovated Chaney.

The two buildings were part of a $180 million district-wide rebuilding program, with the price for East coming in at about $30 million while the Chaney job was about $25 million.

Youngstown reduced its number of high schools from three to two, closing Wilson and Rayen but keeping Chaney open and opening a new East High School.

Nearly all of Rayen’s students go to East, while Wilson’s student body split about 50-50 between East and Chaney, school officials have said.

School officials maintain that a small minority of the district’s students are responsible for creating the disturbances.