Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Blackstone Brawl Prompts New FUSD Game Plan
By Myles Barker
Published 7 years ago on
August 22, 2018

Share

Students taking part in a brawl last Friday after an Edison and Central High School football game will be held accountable, according to Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson.

“We want our kids to be involved in athletics and activities across the board, and we will do everything we can to make sure they are safe for the duration of time they are there. — Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson
A series of fights occurred in a Wendy’s parking lot on Blackstone Avenue, across the street from where Central defeated Edison in a 35-7 season-opening victory at Ratcliffe Stadium.

Students Banned For Year

Nelson said students that have been identified will not be allowed to participate in any of the subsequent football events throughout the year.
“That is how we are managing it because we want high school football to be a good experience for everybody involved,” Nelson said.

Brawl Drew Large Crowd

The brawl, which drew a crowd of about 100, yielded no arrests or injuries, something Fresno Police Lt. Mark Hudson credits to the six officers that were assigned to the game.
“When officers arrived, there was nobody fighting and the crowd dispersed peacefully,” Hudson said.
For future sporting events, Hudson said it is best for attendees to have a game plan of their own, which should consist of planning a way to exit the venue and a way to get home safely.
He added that people should try to avoid crowded areas if possible.

“We want to make sure we are ready for that and that we manage the end of the game circumstances to make it as clean and effective as we possibly can.” — Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson
“So you won’t become a victim of an assault if a fight should happen to break out and you are there,” Hudson said.
Nelson said Fresno Unified is changing how it operates with respect to how it handles fans exiting Ratcliffe Stadium.
“We want to make sure we are ready for that and that we manage the end of the game circumstances to make it as clean and effective as we possibly can,” Nelson said.

New Plan For Future Games

Fresno Unified’s Bullard High School will take on Buchanan at Ratcliffe Stadium this Friday. Nelson said the district will implement its new crowd control plan.
“We learned from this and we’ve already created a new protocol for how we are going to go about doing that,” Nelson said.
He added, “We want our kids to be involved in athletics and activities across the board, and we will do everything we can to make sure they are safe for the duration of time they are there.”

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

UP NEXT

Sights & Sounds: The 2025 Fresno Rainbow Pride Parade and Festival

Israeli Forces Seize Gaza Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg

40 minutes ago

Trump Hints He Would Support Arrest of California Governor Newsom

1 hour ago

Canada Promises to Boost Defense Spending, Meet NATO Target Much Earlier

TORONTO (Reuters) – Canada’s Liberal government will pour extra billions into its armed forces and hit NATO’s 2% military ...

13 minutes ago

A pair of Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) CF-188 Hornets fly with a United States Navy EA-18G Growler during Exercise Maple Flag 51 over Alberta, Canada June 15, 2018. OS Erica Seymour/Canadian Forces/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo
13 minutes ago

Canada Promises to Boost Defense Spending, Meet NATO Target Much Earlier

China’s export restrictions on samarium, a rare earth metal essential for U.S. military weapons like the F-35, have exposed a dangerous reliance on Chinese supply chains and stalled domestic production efforts, deepening national security concerns amid rising global tensions. (Shutterstock)
18 minutes ago

China’s Chokehold on This Obscure Mineral Threatens the West’s Militaries

Freedom Flotilla
24 minutes ago

Israel Seizes Gaza-Bound Aid Ship in International Waters. Can It Legally Do That?

A surveillance footage shows crew of the Gaza-bound British-flagged yacht "Madleen", put their hands up as strong light came into the vessel, in this screengrab from a video released on June 9, 2025. Freedom Flotilla Coalition/Handout via REUTERS
40 minutes ago

Israeli Forces Seize Gaza Aid Boat Carrying Greta Thunberg

California Governor Gavin Newsom gestures while speaking, as he announces the Golden State Literacy Plan and deployment of literacy coaches statewide, at the Clinton Elementary School in Compton, California, U.S. June 5, 2025. REUTERS/Daniel Cole/File Photo
1 hour ago

Trump Hints He Would Support Arrest of California Governor Newsom

Alcaraz Kisses Trophy After Winning French Open
1 hour ago

Alcaraz Outlasts Sinner in a French Open Finale for the Ages

Sergio Castro Quezada is Valley Crime Stoppers' Most Wanted Person of the Day for June 9, 2025. (Valley Crimes Stoppers)
2 hours ago

Valley Crime Stoppers’ Most Wanted Person of the Day: Sergio Castro Quezada

Protesters confront police near a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in San Francisco on Sunday, June 8, 2025. In Los Angeles, federal agents clashed with protesters near an immigration detention center as confrontations there stretched into a third day. (Loren Elliott/The New York Times)
2 hours ago

A Solidarity Protest in San Francisco Turns Violent

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend