DARLINGTON, S.C. – As a result of the incident at last Friday’s high school football game between Hartsville and Darlington, Darlington County Sheriff James Hudson said security will be increased at this week’s game in Hartsville.
On Friday, a multiple fights broke out in the stands during the game between the Red Foxes and Falcons at Darlington. It became so disruptive that authorities could not control it and the game was halted.
Darlington Police attempted to relocate fans back to their respective team’s side of the stadium, but fights began to break out again. After school and district officials consulted with law enforcement, decision was made to clear the stadium. Players were sent back to the locker rooms and later resumed play once the stadium was cleared.
“This kind of behavior is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Hudson said in a released statement on Monday.
Hudson, who said he planning to meet with Darlington County School District officials and other local government officials this week, stated that plans are to “provide extra deputies to enhance the level of security at this week’s home football game in Hartsville. The spectators and parents should be able come out on a Friday night and enjoy the game without this type of behavior occurring. If there are any such issues at this week’s game, each incident will be fully investigated and those that take part in this type of behavior will be dealt with accordingly. We will work closely with the school district to ensure that they are prevented from returning to any future games.”
The Darlington County School district released the following statement: “Darlington County School District and our schools will never tolerate this type of behavior on any of our campuses or during any event involving our students. We will pursue action to the fullest extent to make sure those responsible for these disruptions are held accountable. Our student-athletes, their coaches, and families deserve the opportunity to compete with the highest standards of safety and sportsmanship. We appreciate our law enforcement partners acting swiftly to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our athletes and fans.”
Hartsville will host Camden this Friday at Kellytown Stadium.
The school and district have announced the following guidelines for the game:
Fans must pass through weapons detectors prior to entering the stadium.Students will be required to remain seated in the stands throughout the game. Students below grade 9 must be with a parent or guardian to enter the game. Unaccompanied students will not be able to enter the stadium. They will be forced to stand outside the gate until the game is over or someone returns to enter with them. Gates will close at halftime, and no spectators will be allowed to enter once the second half begins.
Darlington will play at Lugoff-Elgin on Friday.
August 29, 2023 | Morning News (Florence, SC)
Author/Byline: BOB SLOAN | Section: Local