Football fight: Video shows California tournament turn violent

MENIFEE, Calif. -- A football tournament in California over the weekend ended with a celebration that got out of hand and turned into a melee.

Shannon Harris was in the stands when two rival high school football teams began throwing punches. It happened Saturday night after a day-long passing tournament hosted by Paloma Valley High School.

A game that involved only two-hand touch soon turned to blows between players from Hillcrest and Corona high schools.

"Then, all of the sudden, it was this whole team against this whole team and just a big circle of people punching," Harris explained.

She said it was an aggressive reception between the rival players that touched it all off.

"The kid from Corona High School ended up throwing the ball at his back as he was walking away and did this little pompous celebratory dance," Harris added.

She said the player from Hillcrest didn't like that, and he began kicking the opposing school's equipment. Then, players from Corona High School retaliated.

"They started name-calling and yelling at each other," Harris said.

Players weren't the only ones involved. Harris said there was some bad behavior from adults as well.

"Coaches were trying to pull everybody off and out of the fight, but they were also arguing with each other over the play," she added.

Eyewitness News reached out to both schools' athletic directors. Corona High School's did not want to comment and Hillcrest did not respond.

Both Alvord and the Corona-Norco unified school districts said they were looking into the matter.

As for Harris, she said she hopes her video will help foster a better atmosphere on and off the field.

"I wanted to use that as bad sportsmanship," she said. "This is why we don't act the way we do."

Riverside County sheriff's officials said they responded to the scene and no arrests were made.

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