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Harbor College Puts Its Program on Hold : Football: School recommends to conference that it not play Saturday in aftermath of brawl.

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TIMES STAFF WRITER

Officials at Harbor College temporarily suspended the school’s football program Tuesday in the wake of Saturday’s brawl after the Seahawk game against Pierce, which left one Pierce coach in the hospital and two others injured.

Gary Wood, public information officer at Harbor, said administrators also suspended a player from school pending further investigation. He would not identify the player.

“The program has been suspended for the remainder of the week and we are recommending to the (Western State Conference) that no game be played this Saturday,” Wood said.

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The Seahawks are scheduled to travel to West L.A. College for a 1 p.m. game Saturday. The school’s report of its investigation and its recommendations have been sent to Aviva Kamin, the conference commissioner. She is expected to announce Thursday whether she will accept those self-imposed sanctions or recommend others.

Pierce Coach Bill Norton said, however, that Pierce’s report will not recommend disciplinary action against any Brahma player or coach because he said they did not instigate the fight.

“Nothing is going to happen to anyone here,” Norton said. “I don’t anticipate suspending or dismissing any of my players.”

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Harbor Coach Don Weems said he has been instructed by school officials not to comment about the brawl.

The melee Saturday began near the teams’ locker rooms at Harbor after Pierce defeated the Seahawks, 23-0.

During the fracas, Pat Swift, an offensive line coach at Pierce, was knocked unconscious after a Harbor player reportedly hit him on the head with an aluminum crutch. He was taken to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center and was listed in fair condition by the hospital Tuesday before being transferred to Desert Hospital in Palm Springs.

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Harbor player Dion Mills, 19, of Carson later turned himself in to Los Angeles police at the Harbor Division station and was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. He was released after posting $35,000 bail.

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