Second-Quarter Brawl Ends HS Football Game as Double Forfeit

A brawl between players from Rio Grande and Albuquerque High caused Friday night's football game at Milne Stadium to abruptly end early in the second quarter.

The game was declared a double forfeit. The Bulldogs have lost 39 games in a row dating to 2010. Rio Grande finishes 1-9.

The Ravens had gone up 13-0 with about eight minutes to go in the second quarter when game officials stopped the contest because of fighting players.

Rio Grande coach Jim Danner said a Ravens player made a tackle on AHS quarterback Ryley Padilla near the Bulldogs' sideline. Danner said it was not a late hit or a tackle out of bounds.

Multiple sources told the Journal that an Albuquerque player went after the Rio Grande tackler after the hit, starting what Danner called a "melee."

"We make a play on the sideline, in bounds, and they came off the bench," Danner said of the Bulldogs.

A flag was thrown on AHS, according to Danner, but the penalty was never marked off because players on the Bulldogs' sideline and members of the Rio Grande defense began to brawl.

"We couldn't stop the melee," Danner said.

An Albuquerque High parent texted the Journal to say a Rio Grande coach had hit a Bulldogs' player during the scrum. Said Danner: "I have no comment regarding that."

Danner said he could not confirm that there were multiple fights going on at once, adding: "When there's a lot of people, there are little things all over the place."

The Journal left phone messages for AHS coach Tim Garro, athletic director Doug Dorame and Rio Grande AD Pete Pino. None was returned as of 11 p.m. Friday.