High School

California high school football game called early after fight

Central Section preseason No. 1 Central beats Justin Garza 40-0 in Week 0 showdown

Andy Buhler

A Week 0 California high school football game was ended early due to a fight between Central and Garza. Central won 40-0.
A Week 0 California high school football game was ended early due to a fight between Central and Garza. Central won 40-0. / Photo via NFHS Network

A California high school football game was called early after a fight broke out between the teams.

Central High School led Justin Garza 40-0 in a Week 0 matchup when two players tangled up during a Garza punt escalated contact after the play was done.

Footage of the end of the play shows the Central players' helmet fly off around midfield while the ball had been downed some 40 yards downfield.

The two players appear to have continued throwing punches closer to the Central sideline, as members of the Grizzlies coaching staff soon charged onto the field to break up the fight.

Players and coaches from both sidelines soon rushed to the area. More than a minute went by before the situation was under control.

According to the Fresno Bee, a Justin Garza player "allegedly ripped off" a Central player's helmet "and hit him with it."

It's not immediately clear which players were involved.

Footage in the direct aftermath shows officials huddle to speak in the middle of the field. Coaches from both teams can be seen joining them for several minutes before both teams were dismissed back to locker rooms.

>> CIF Central Section Fab 15 preseason rankings

The game was ultimately called early and Central was award the victory. It's not immediately known if any players will be disciplined, at least one angle of the incident appears to show players connecting on punches.

For both teams, the incident concluded a less-than-ideal end to Week 0 of the California high school football season.

Justin Garza faces Bakersfield on Friday in Week 1, while Central is scheduled to host East Anchorage (1-0) from Alaska.

Central entered the season ranked No. 1 in the Central Section Fab 15 preseason rankings and No. 24 overall in the SBLive Power 25 statewide rankings. The Grizzlies went 10-4 in 2023.

Sophomore quarterback Jelani Dippel is heralded among the top returners on an underclassmen-heavy team, as well as junior running back Brandon Smith and senior wideout Daylon Scott.

"We have a ton of talent and youth so if we learn fast we’re going to be good," head coach Kyle Biggs told SBLive before the season.

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-- Andy Buhler | andy@scorebooklive.com | @sblivetx

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Andy Buhler
ANDY BUHLER

Andy Buhler is a Regional Editor of Texas and the national breaking news desk. He brings more than five years of experience covering high school sports across the state of Washington and beyond, where he covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason served on state tournament seeding committees. He works on the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a degree from Gonzaga and is based out of Portland, Oregon.

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