Camden and Eastside boys’ basketball teams withdrawn from NJSIAA tournament after altercation

The Camden City School District announced Friday that the Camden and Eastside boys’ basketball teams will be withdrawn from the NJSIAA tournament after Thursday’s on-court altercation ended the Camden County championship game.

Camden (23-2) will be unable to defend the Group 2 state championship and see the high school careers of Kentucky recruits DJ Wagner and Aaron Bradshaw end. Eastside is the defending Group 3 state champion. Both teams had been scheduled to open tournament play early next week, and, according to the NJSIAA, their opponents will receive forfeit wins and advance.

“The students involved in the incident from both schools have had a tremendous season and have worked incredibly hard to be successful,” superintendent Katrina McCombs wrote in a statement. “We are not taking away any of the prior successes they have had this year, but we want them to know their actions have consequences.”

» READ MORE: Camden-Eastside boys’ basketball game called off after an on-court altercation

The state athletic association released a statement that welcomed the district’s decision and indicated that it was consistent with NJSIAA rules that would have eliminated both teams from the state tournament because of the ejections.

In the game at Cherry Hill East, video showed an altercation between two players that led Wagner, who’s ranked as a top-five player in the senior class, to charge after an Eastside player and be restrained. Coaches, fans, and parents made their way onto the court looking to break up a fight.

After the teams were escorted to the locker rooms, it was announced that the rest of the game would not be played.

Sheena Yera, senior communications director for the school district, wrote in an emailed statement after the game that no one was “seriously” injured and that there would be “appropriate disciplinary action.”

First-year Camden coach Maalik Wayns, a former Roman Catholic and Villanova standout, released an apology on social media after the district announced its decision.

“In the midst of an intense rivalry between 2 great schools, emotions go involved, leading to a heated situation which should never have occurred,” he wrote. “I take full responsibility for the actions of our team and have already begun the work to further educate our players and staff to better handle these types of situations. Physical violence is never the answer and will not be tolerated under any circumstances. I will work tirelessly to make sure this is a life lesson for all of our players.”

Wrote McCombs: “I am saddened and disappointed with the conflict from last night. But I believe we need to make this a learning experience for our student body.”

McCombs also addressed the NJSIAA’s investigation into Camden after an NJ.com report that the team was put together with star players who did not live in the district. An NJSIAA hearing on the matter has been postponed indefinitely as a judge granted the school district a stay and the case is in appeals court.

“Even though we will be making this a growth opportunity for our students, we will also continue to contest the unfounded allegations being investigated by the NJSIAA,” McCombs wrote.