2 Jacksonville schools face playoff ban following football fight

The Florida High School Athletic Association placed both Baldwin and Parker on restrictive probation in football for a fight late in the teams' game on Oct. 2, a punishment that would render both teams ineligible for the regional playoffs beginning in November.

The FHSAA confirmed to the USA TODAY Network on Oct. 8 that it had issued restrictive probation against both schools. Any additional penalties, such as fines or player suspensions, were not yet specified.

It is not yet clear whether either school intends to appeal. E-mail messages sent Oct. 8 to both athletic departments were not returned as of late Thursday afternoon.

Under FHSAA Operational Bylaw 10.1.2 (d) (2), restrictive probation carries "the same penalties as administrative probation [including reprimand, fine and warning], with the additional consequence of restriction from participation in championship competition in one or more sports, or other restrictions deemed appropriate by the Executive Director, for one or more calendar years."

The Times-Union is awaiting the receipt of additional documentation connected with the case.

What happened in Parker vs. Baldwin football?

The incident occurred near the end of the teams' Week 7 game, which ended in a 27-12 victory for Baldwin . A short video clip recorded from the opposite side of the stadium and posted to YouTube showed jawing and some shoving that involved numerous players, escalating to several players fighting on the ground.

Parker (0-7) stood 15th of 16 teams in Region 1-3A, with playoff qualification unlikely even before the penalties. However, Baldwin (2-4), although only third in District 3-2A behind Bolles and Jackson, occupied what would have been the eighth and final postseason berth in Region 1-2A.

If Baldwin is excluded from postseason, the door would open for a Panhandle school like Panama City Rutherford (2-4) or Freeport (3-4), both just behind Baldwin in the MaxPreps rating formula used to allocate at-large playoff selections.

The Baldwin-Parker altercation was among several fight-marred Week 7 games involving Florida high schools. Deltona and Matanzas played an Oct. 1 game that ended in a brawl during postgame handshakes, and Miami Carol City had 15 players suspended for their role in an Oct. 2 fight against Grayson of Georgia.

Carol City also received restrictive probation on Oct. 8, which would keep a state-ranked Chiefs team out of the FHSAA playoffs. The FHSAA assessed similar penalties against Deltona and Matanzas on Oct. 8, as reported by the Daytona Beach News-Journal.