Eight Mount Sinai football players suspended for roles in fight at end of game
Mount Sinai High School on Sept. 21, 2021. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
Eight Mount Sinai High School football players have been suspended for their roles in a fight at the end of Friday night's game against Bayport-Blue Point, according to Mount Sinai superintendent Gordon Brosdal.
"I saw the tape and was in disbelief," Brosdal told Newsday. "I could not believe that behavior.
"We don’t condone that kind of behavior, and we met with the players and coaches and suspended seven student-athletes for one game and there is one player who has a multi-game suspension."
The fight happened with 7:43 remaining in the game at Mount Sinai. With Bayport-Blue Point leading 48-6, a Bayport-Blue Point player tackled Mount Sinai's quarterback near the home team's sideline and was penalized for a late hit, sparking the fight.
“We were proactive and addressed an unacceptable situation," Brosdal said. "We see the athletic field as an extension of the classroom. We take great pride in our district and that was not representative of who we are. It was out of control.”
The referees and school chaperones intervened to break up the fight. The athletic directors for both schools — Scott Reh of Mount Sinai and Tim Mullins of Bayport-Blue Point — were in attendance and agreed with the referees to end the game after the fight.
“I thought considering the number of kids involved in it the adults got there as quick as they could and broke it up,” said Brosdal, who has been a teacher and administrator for 53 years.
“One of our players kept punching another player and refused to recognize the referee. What would happen if that kind of situation happened in my classroom? A one-game suspension is nothing for what happened. If it happened in the classroom, it could be months. What message are we sending our student-athletes for the rest of the year if we blow this off? That can’t happen."
Mullins said no Bayport-Blue Point players would be disciplined and that he appreciated Mount Sinai's response to the situation.
"We reviewed the tapes and we felt that none of our student-athletes did anything that warranted any suspensions or violated our student code of conduct during that incident," Mullins said. “I have the utmost respect for the Mount Sinai School District and the administration. ... They took this unfortunate situation and dealt with it immediately."
Mount Sinai coach Vin Ammirato was not suspended but the Mustangs' coach for the past 27 years requested a self-imposed one-game suspension.
Mount Sinai plays Port Jefferson on Saturday at 2 p.m.
“After much thought I self-imposed a one-game suspension to send a strong message to my players, parents and community that I do not condone what happened and I am ultimately responsible for what happens on the field,” Ammirato said.
Gregg Sarra is Newsday's high school sports editor and has been on the beat since the mid-1980s.
