A Tennessee middle school football game between Cornersville and South Franklin was interrupted on Aug. 18 as a fan entered the playing field and attacked a South Middle player.
South Middle threw a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and elected to go for a two-point conversion. During that play, a player from South and a player from Cornersville can be seen on video getting tangled on the two-point conversion try. Both players went to the ground, wrestling, as South Middle converted the PAT to take a 34-0 lead.
Officials were able to separate the two players and both players were flagged for unnecessary roughness, marking the second time each player had
been flagged in the fourth quarter. After being flagged and separated by officials, the video shows the South Middle player, involved in the altercation, walking back to his huddle when a female spectator enters frame and tackles him. As the South Middle player and fan got up, the fan shoved the player to the ground.
By that point, coaches from both sides were on the field to separate the fan from the players and the fan can been seen walking off the field.
Following the incident, Franklin County Sheriffs obtained the woman's information, while Cornersville coaches removed their team from the field. Both players involved in the on-field incident were ejected and will serve one-game suspensions. Cornersville also will be fined a minimum of $250 for having a fan entering the field during the game, per TMSAA bylaws. The fan was also ejected, along with Cornersville's coach, who received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty shortly following the incident.
Harrison Campbell covers high school sports for The Daily Herald and The Tennessean. Email him at hcampbell@usatodayco.com and follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @hccamp.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Fan attacks Tennessee middle school football player during game
