Stratford bans boys basketball team from postseason after fight
Tom KreagerAdd Stratford to the growing list of high school boys basketball programs in Tennessee that will not be on the court this postseason.
The TSSAA accepted Stratford's self-imposed sanctions, which included suspending the Spartans' season for the rest of the year, after a fight Feb. 5.
Stratford became the sixth high school boys program that has been ruled ineligible for the postseason, joining Adamsville, Fairley, Melrose, Scotts Hill and Westwood as teams that are banned for the 2019 postseason.
Two Nashville football teams – Antioch and Overton – also have received a two-year postseason ban after a fight between the two teams after the conclusion of their 2018 game.
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The latest fight occurred when a Stratford basketball player came off the bench at a District 10-AA contest at Pearl-Cohn and ran into the stands to fight a fan, according to a letter to Stratford from TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress.
The Stratford boys basketball team ran into the stands, but did not engage in the fight, the letter said.
The Pearl-Cohn boys team left the gym and went to its locker room when the fight started and was not involved.
The game was called at that point with Stratford forfeiting the game.
Stratford put itself on restrictive probation until Feb. 6, 2020, and on probation for the 2019-20 school year. The boys basketball program can compete during the 2020 postseason while under probation.
The school also reprimanded boys coach Romie Reed for allowing players to leave the bench. Stratford also disciplined the athlete who left the bench initially to start the fight.
Stratford finished 8-14 a year after reaching the Class AA state semifinals.
Reach Tom Kreager at 615-259-8089 or tkreager@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Kreager.
Fight:TSSAA gives Adamsville, Scotts Hill boys basketball two-year postseason ban over fight