RBV-Escondido Basketball Game Might Not Be Played

In an effort to ease bad feelings between Rancho Buena Vista and Escondido high schools as a result of a melee that occurred Thursday at a wrestling meet, RBV Principal Alan Johnson has recommended that Wednesday’s basketball game between the two schools be canceled.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Escondido.

On Friday, RBV Principal Alan Johnson informed boys’ basketball Coach John O’Neill that it would be in the best interest of both schools to cancel the game. According to North County Conference rules, RBV would take a forfeit loss for refusing to play the game.

“He (Johnson) is just trying to get things under control,” O’Neill said. “I know he’s very despondent about the whole thing. He was very sad. He put his arm around me and said, ‘I’m sorry.’ ”

O’Neill said he would like to see the game played.

So would Escondido Coach Mike Williams, who isn’t so sure there won’t be a game.

“We want to play the game,” Williams said.

However, Williams has yet to confer with Escondido Principal Jackie Nichols, who was out of school ill last week. There was no school Monday because of a holiday.

“I assume the two principals will get together (today) and work it out,” Williams said. “The kids want to play the game. I don’t see a problem with the basketball kids. I don’t think canceling the game will help anything. I think if they keep making a big issue about it, it’s going to go on.”

Williams, whose team won the first meeting 92-78 at RBV, has offered to play Wednesday’s game there again if that’s what it would take to get it played. He also considered playing the game without spectators.

“(The first game) was maybe the best game of the year to watch,” he said. “It was dead even half way through the fourth quarter, then the shots started dropping for us and didn’t drop for them.”

North County Conference rules allow teams to change dates, times and locations of games by mutual consent.

The incident Thursday night occurred after the heavyweight match, the final match of the meet, in which the league dual-meet championship was at stake.

Toward the end of the first period, Escondido’s Mark Seltzer drove RBV’s Jack Harrington off the mat and shoved him into some chairs, said Williams, who was at the meet. In frustration, Harrington kicked Seltzer, said Williams. The referee disqualified Harrington, giving Escondido a 29-22 victory and its 21st consecutive Avocado League victory.

The disqualification triggered fighting among wrestlers, coaches and spectators who had lined the mat for the final match and streamed down from the bleachers. More than 300 people were reported involved. Metal chairs were thrown. Two people were reported injured.