The score at the buzzer was 60-45, with Manvel High School on top. La Marque players had already left the gym when apparently some angry words from fans turned into punches. Alvin ISD's athetletic director says Manvel's head basketball coach left with a win -- and also a shiner -- under his left eye.
The gym at La Marque High School was empty and quiet Monday night -- a stark contrast to post game Friday night.
"It was pretty, pretty rough," Alvin ISD Athletic Director Mike Bass said.
Manvel High School basketball coach Greg Devers is recovering from being punched in the face. The Mavericks had just beaten the La Marque Cougars handily on their home turf, but Bass says there were no issues.
"The players shook hands, the coaches shook hands. Everything was great," Bass said.
La Marque retired to the locker room. Manvel was waiting in the gym for their bus. The school police officer stepped out and that's when fans jumped the rails.
"He said 'Coach Bass, it happened so fast. One moment talking enjoying the victory,' and then next thing, he said, 'I saw a mother get knocked down. I reached down and I got hit and it's just going everywhere,'" Bass said.
Luckily, Coach Devers was the one only hurt.
"It looked like it was a left hook from Mike Tyson, I mean he really took a pretty good shiner on him and it swelled him up pretty good, but he's going to be OK," Bass said.
The situation, Bass says, was quickly contained and now both schools are working hard to determine who was involved. La Marque ISD Superintendent Monday night issued the following statement:
"As a district, we don't tolerate that from our fans or students. We are conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it. Once we know all the particulars, we will administer discipline accordingly."
La Marque and Manvel are rivals. In the last two seasons, each took turns knocking the other out of the football playoffs.
Bass says the competition has been healthy. When they meet again on the court at Manvel High School next month, though, there will likely be extra security, he says, to prevent anymore more punches.
"Those folks need to be held accountable for their actions," Bass said.
And that's exactly what La Marque's superintendent and athletic director say they're working toward. They don't think any players were involved, but if students were, they will be disciplined.
Non-students will be referred to the police department. And La Marque ISD is adding more officers on game nights.
