NCHSAA suspends four Porter Ridge players for Friday's Marvin Ridge game

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The N.C. High School Athletic Association has suspended four Porter Ridge High football players for Friday's rivalry game at Marvin Ridge.

Each player was a starter. One was suspended after a first half helmet-to-helmet hit in last week's 17-7 win over Providence Day. The other three were suspended for leaving the bench during an altercation on the field in the second half of last week's Providence Day game. A Providence Day player scored a touchdown on a fumble recovery. After he scored, there appeared to be an altercation of some sort between the teams.

"Based on the report we got from the officials, it was not ruled a fight," said NCHSAA deputy commissioner Que Tucker, "but because those young men did leave the bench, probably with the idea that there was a fight or skirmish of some kind, they are being ejected for one contest."

Had the game officials determined there was a fight and three players had been ejected, it would have cost Porter Ridge a potential playoff berth, per state rules. Porter Ridge, however, will have to avoid further ejections. Six in one season, Tucker said, will also cost a team its playoff privileges.

Porter Ridge (5-0) is ranked No. 3 in the Charlotte Observer Sweet 16 poll. The Pirates have won 23 straight regular-season games.