Parent stunned at what occurred at North Vermilion/Abbeville High basketball game

LEROY - A parent who was in the stands during the Abbeville High/North Vermilion basketball game does not understand what led to a fight between an AHS player and an NV player during the second period Saturday night.Karen Touchet Greene, who is a teacher at Forked Island/E. Broussard Elementary, attended the basketball game and from what she saw, the game was under control among the players, fans and referees throughout the second quarter.
“It (the game) was calm,” said Greene Sunday afternoon. “There were no heated moments. I don’t understand where this came from.”
Greene referred “this” to be pandemonium that broke out on the sidelines after a loose ball in the corner of the floor.
There was a scuffle for the ball between a North Vermilion player and an Abbeville High player. When it was over, a spectator in the stands said the two players faced each other and words were said between them.
Greene said she saw the Abbeville player step out of bounds like he was going to throw the ball in bounds and the North Vermilion player, who scuffled with him for the loose ball, was in front of him.
Out of nowhere, Greene said, she saw the North Vermilion player swing and hit the Abbeville High player and they both ended up in the bleachers. The swinging lasted about 10 seconds before it was stopped.
During the fight, some players from the North Vermilion and Abbeville High benches got out of their chairs. It is not known as of Sunday if any of those players will be suspended for doing this during the altercation.
The Vermilion Parish Sheriff’s Office was on scene to help break up the fight and get the crowd under control.
Once everything calmed down, Joan Romero, the outgoing principal at North Vermilion, recommended the parents and players from Abbeville High leave the gym first and the NV parents and players waited until AHS was out of the gym before they left.
“I was shocked when I saw this (the fight),” Greene said. “The three principals (Tommy Byler, Ivy Landry and Romero) did their best to get the crowd under control. They were able to settle everyone down.”
On Monday, Superintendent Jerome Puyau is expected to meet with NV principal Tommy Byler and AHS principal Ivy Landry about Saturday’s game. It is still unknown when and if the AHS/NV game will be made up.
It is also unknown, as of Sunday, if any charges were filed against the players.