The Manning High School Monarch’s ended their game with an empty gymnasium against Cheraw after a disgruntled crowd caused the police to evacuate the spectators. After mass confusion and speculation, the varsity boys coach is here to set the record straight and reveal just what happened that night, from his viewpoint.
According to Coach Rolando Shuler, there was not a fight at all; the entire buzz was created when an upset parent from Cheraw’s side confronted a Monarch on the court after a play.
“There was no fight,” said Shuler. “There was a disagreement on the court. A parent from the other side incited the whole thing when he approached one of our players.”
Shuler is upset about the entire ordeal, he sees it as Cheraw being given an unfair advantage. After the fight, Cheraw was awarded seven free throws for the conflict. The referee’s based this off of three technical fouls and a personal foul, all given to Manning. They scored five of the seven free throws, winning the game 63-58. Shuler thinks that these penalties gave Cheraw the edge, effectively turning the game around.
“I’m not saying that we lost the game because of that parent approaching our player and causing this ordeal,” said Shuler. “But if that wouldn’t have happened, I think we would have taken control of the game.”
The Monarch’s Coach thinks the entire setup was unfair, and that Cheraw did not receive justice for their actions.
“It wasn’t fair at all, especially since their crowd incited the riot,” said Shuler. “They didn’t receive any penalties, which is what I was concerned about. I told them we would accept anything they gave us, but what about the other team.”
Shuler used the word riot confidently, and from the video provided to the Times, it does appear that way. In the video, several dozen parents, students, players, and coaches are all gathered around the center of the commotion. Due to the crowd, it’s unclear if any punches are thrown. However, it is clear that the disagreement was heated. The crowd makes several moves across the court, with people trying to diffuse the situation. Throughout, you can hear concerned spectators shouting, “break it up,” and “that’s enough.” Eventually, it was broken up.
Shuler has no problem with Cheraw, or the referee’s decision, he just feels that both sides didn’t receive equal treatment. He believes in his team, and he wants them to show their skills, fairly.
“This is the end of playoffs for Manning,” said Shuler. “Our kids wanted to have a chance, just like their kids did. It was just unfair that they didn’t receive a single foul for their actions.”
At the end of the day, Shuler respects the Cheraw team, and plans to bring his all next season.
