Fight breaks out at during basketball game hosted at Mariner High School

Caught on camera, a basketball court run amok after a coach got punched in the face at Mariner High School in Cape Coral.

The game was between Ida Baker and Dunbar high schools while Mariner High School merely hosted the game.

During the fight, someone from the stands came down and punched the coach. Perhaps not quite as wild as the Malice at the Palace, but according to the Lee County School District, one person was taken into custody while others will be disciplined.

WINK News spoke to one woman who fears that this is a sign of the anger and violence running through the kids and the community.

A game centered around teamwork, communication, and spacing became a free-for-all up close and personal brawl.

“It hurt my heart,” said Dr. Laura Steyffeler a mental health counselor.

Two teams fighting at midcourt when suddenly some spectators rushed down from the stands punching a coach in the face and knocking them to the ground.

“Kids and adults right now are just so stressed and so angry,” Streyffeler said. “And walking around, I got one nerve left in your on at that as soon as they see an opportunity to unload some of that anger, you know, they do so.”

“Part of it is a lot of people, especially teenagers right now are just looking for a fight,” Streyffeler said. “They’re just looking for an excuse to release some of the anger. They don’t know how to do it in healthy ways. So they’re doing it in very unhealthy, very dangerous ways.”

Dangerous ways with serious consequences, at least that’s what the Lee County school district told WINK News.

A spokesperson said, “We appreciate the quick response and actions taken by the Cape Coral Police Department… any players involved will be disciplined per the student code of conduct.”

Cape Coral police said they did arrest the person who punched the coach in the face.

Cape Coral police don’t have an answer for what started the fight yet, but Streyffler said nothing justifies what’s in the video.