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Days after student brawl, Panther Creek adds security for basketball game

The Catamounts beat visiting Green Hope 66-53. The schools are a mere two miles apart along N.C. Highway 55, and games are often referred to as "The Fight for 55."

Posted Updated

By
Nia Harden
, WRAL reporter
CARY, N.C. — A video of a brawl between high school students after a basketball game between Panther Creek High School and Green Hope High School is making the rounds on social media.

The Catamounts beat visiting Green Hope 66-53. The schools are a mere two miles apart along N.C. Highway 55, and games are often referred to as "The Fight for 55."

The video, posted on Twitter by a woman who said she was at the game, shows a crowd of students fighting, stomping and pushing each other on the ground.

The fight began in the commons area, which is essentially the cafeteria, after Panther Creek won the game, but spilled out into the parking lot according to the Town of Cary.

The principals of both schools issued a joint statement saying they planned “to determine violations of our Student Code of Conduct and the appropriate disciplinary action for students involved. This type of behavior will not be tolerated.

"Rivalry games are fun, but we must remember this is a friendly rivalry, which should be civil and respectful," they wrote.

Panther Creek officials announced Thursday there would be extra security for Friday's game against Cary.

Three off-duty Cary police officers were at the school to provide security, a number Cary police said is standard. More than a dozen other law enforcement officers responded to help in breaking up the fight.

Video from inside the gym showed students celebrating the win. It is not clear what led up to the fight.

Officials said no one was arrested.

Panther Creek won by four points, 56-52, in the teams' previous meeting this season. The teams are rivals in the Triangle 8 (4A) conference, where Panther Creek is 5-1 and in second place. Green Hope is 2-2 and fourth.

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