The Commercial Appeal

Wooddale, Raleigh-egypt out of playoffs through 2025 for brawl

- Wynston Wilcox

Wooddale and Raleigh-egypt High Schools received letters from the TSSAA that both schools were out of the TSSAA playoffs following an incident during Saturday's Region 8-3A quarterfin­al game.

Both Raleigh-egypt and Wooddale were placed on restrictiv­e probation, removing both programs from the TSSAA basketball playoffs effective immediatel­y through the 2024-25 school year and fined $2,000 each, for the unsportsma­nlike incident.

According to the official's report, with two minutes left in the game a Wooddale player was called for a flagrant foul on a Raleigh-egypt player. Following the foul, the benches cleared and fans stormed the court during the brawl.

During the chaos, referees ran to their dressing room, noting there was what sounded like a gunshot that came from the gym area.

It was later clarified by the Raleighegy­pt principal that it was a firecracke­r and not a gunshot.

Both schools have recently been involved with similar incidents as well. Wooddale had an incident that put the boys basketball team on a restrictiv­e probation in 2019 and Raleigh Egypt's girls basketball team was placed on a restrictiv­e probation last season. The TSSAA added in its letter to both schools that if they are involved in any other behavioral issues similar to this, more disciplina­ry actions will be taken.

Raleigh-egypt requested a hearing with the four Board of Control members from their Grand Division (West TN) on Tuesday.

The original decision and penalties remained in place after the meeting took place.

Reach Wynston Wilcox at wwilcox@gannett.com and on Twitter @wynstonw__.

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