23 Pine Bluff (Arkansas), 12 Mills players disqualified for next game after brawls last Friday night

Zebras players will miss this week's game with White Hall and Comets players won't play after the bye week against Joe T. Robinson

PINE BLUFF, ARKANSAS - SBLive has confirmed that 23 Pine Bluff High School football players, including two starters, will not play in Friday's 5A-Central matchup against White Hall following a fight that occurred following a 24-21 overtime loss to Mills. 

However, the athletes disqualified from playing are not barred from attending the game, they just can not dress out. 

Pulaski County Special School District spokesperson Jessica Duff also confirmed 12 Mills players will not play in the 5A-Central showdown against Joe T. Robinson on Oct. 20. Mills has a bye this week, so the punishment is effective for the next game, which is against the Senators. 

"For every action there is a reaction and this is going to be a lesson that our kids have to learn," Pine Bluff head coach Micheal Williams said. "We have to be willing to deal with the consequences of our actions, so right now we are handling this the best we can.

"I do want to say that we have no ill will towards Mills because ultimately we have to control our own selves."

The Arkansas Activities Association released the following statement Wednesday morning.

“After a diligent review of all of the video available, it is evident that the actions of students from both schools were integral in the initiation of the altercation that occurred between the two teams following the conclusion of the game. The video, while not clear enough to identify all participants, proves that many students on each team participated in the altercation or to some degree contributed to the escalation of the altercation.

“School district administrators and coaches from each school met with the AAA staff to review the video footage and were able to positively identify the majority of the individuals involved in the altercation or who contributed to the escalation of the altercation. These students will be disciplined according to policies of the AAA Sportsmanship Manual.”

This is a developing story. 

--Kyle Sutherland | k_sutherlandAR