The Comeaux and North Vermilion football teams will have to forfeit their Week 7 football games because of postgame brawl that followed their Oct. 11 game.
The LHSAA notified the schools of the punishment Tuesday via email, according to officials at both schools.
A video on TikTok is believed to have been the impetus of the fight. The original TikTok video shows a football player on a winning team in the handshake line using a towel to hit opposing players on their rears to emulate them being whipped.
Following North Vermilion's 36-29 victory over Comeaux, a North Vermilion player — not dressed for the game — allegedly used a towel to hit a Comeaux player while the two teams were shaking hands and it led to the brawl that resulted in two North Vermilion players being hospitalized.
Because of the growing popularity of the trend, LHSAA director Eric Held sent out a memo to member schools Oct. 8 about the “negative phenomenon.”
“A recent social media phenomenon has made its way to football postgame handshake lines,” the memo read. “After a win, players and/or spirit groups are using their belt or a towel to 'whip' opposing players. HIGHLY inappropriate and unsportsmanlike.
“I would ask all head coaches to educate their players on refraining from this behavior and to have staff, security, and/or gameday administrators at the front and back of the handshake line to ensure proper postgame conduct. Because of altercations in the first few weeks of the season, advise your film crew to leave the camera on until the completion of the handshake.”
Comeaux was scheduled to host St. Thomas More on Friday, while North Vermilion was scheduled to take on No. 1 Teurlings Catholic.
North Vermilion's game is its homecoming game.
Comeaux (0-7, 0-4 District 4-4A) returns to action Oct. 25 when it visits Northside. North Vermilion (2-5, 1-2) will take the field again Oct. 24 at Westgate.