2 Macon schools get fined, players suspended after high school football fight

Seven players were suspended and schools were fined $1,500 after a fight broke out at a football game between Southwest High School and Northeast High School, the Georgia High School Association announced Tuesday.

The rivalry game, which took place Aug. 22, ended abruptly in the third quarter after a fight broke out between players on the field. When the game ended, Northeast was leading 30-8.

GHSA, which oversees high school athletics at participating schools across the state, released more details about the fight Tuesday after initially declining to provide further information.

The game had been tense all evening, with numerous turnovers and more than two dozen fouls being called in the third quarter alone, according to GHSA documents provided to The Telegraph.

The fight that ended the game erupted when a referee threw a flag after a Northeast player “flagrantly contacted” a Southwest player, according to GHSA documents. Southwest players and coaching staff then stormed onto the field, and Northeast coaches and players followed suit.

Players started fighting, with some adults among the melee, shouting accusations at each other. Some members of the coaching staff tried to restrain players to keep them from fighting, documents show.

After the fight, Northeast Coach Jeremy Wiggins remained on the field with Bibb County School District Athletics Director Kevin Grooms and a referee. The referee told Grooms and Wiggins that a number of players would be disqualified for leaving the sidelines and fighting on the field, and Grooms terminated the game.

Northeast High School and Southwest High School were fined $1,500 each for violating GHSA by-laws. Both schools were also placed on “severe Warning Status” for one year, meaning that any similar violations could lead to “more stringent penalties” against the programs.

In addition to the fines, four players from Southwest High School and three players from Northeast High School were suspended from playing in the following week’s matchups due to their involvement in the fight, said Marvin James, GHSA’s director of media relations. All seven players were eligible to play in games this Friday.

“The GHSA and its member schools have made and expect a commitment to promote good sportsmanship by students/athletes, coaches, and spectators,” wrote GHSA Associate Director for Compliance Carror Wright in a letter sent to both schools. “This should be exemplified before, during, and after all GHSA sanctioned events.”

This story was originally published September 2, 2025 at 4:45 PM.