It’s late on a Friday night, and the Central parking is quickly becoming mobbed by hundreds of students making the short trek from the basketball arena.  Either wearing the Devils’ signature red and white or the crosstown colors of blue and gold, this collection of angry and obnoxious high school students make their way to their respective cars while exchanging shouts of “You’re poor!” or “Daddy’s money!” A large crowd forms around a car, and members of the blue and gold army sprint away. A Central student, sitting in the passenger seat of his car, holds his head in his hand.  He was just sucker-punched through the window of the car.

This event transpired after Central’s 48-45 home-game victory over Lyons Township last Friday night.  Matt Muellner, a senior at Hinsdale Central and victim of the fight, couldn’t process the situation until it was too late.

“Both LT and Central [kids] were yelling stuff at each other, but it was generally joking around. It wasn’t really directed at anyone. I yelled from inside my friend’s car with the window down, and the kid walked up to the window, reached inside, and punched me in the face and ran away,” Muellner said.

Muellner wasn’t the only one hit after Friday’s game. Grant Pitcher, a junior at Central, also got attacked in the parking lot.

“I was standing outside my friend’s car, and a kid punched me in the face. Before I could process what happened, the kid was long gone,” Pitcher said.

This leads to the question at what point does a rivalry go too far?  Rivalry games are supposed to be intense.  Shouting and yelling during a game is expected, if not encouraged, but at what point is it all too much?  Most would say when it comes to physical violence.

“I definitely think LT took the loss too hard and much too far.  People are going to scream and yell things, but it’s all in the spirit of the game. Rivalry is inevitable, but LT’s actions were just completely unnecessary,” said Samrita Sawney, junior.

Although both Central and LT have their apparent differences and struggles, both seem to agree on one thing: the fact that the punch should never have taken place.

“The game was really well played, but the fight should have never occurred.  Yes, maybe some of the Hinsdale fans deserved it, but that’s no way to handle it.  We don’t want to be looked upon as the bad guys in this situation,” said Katie Lively, junior at LT.

With the next game between these two teams being only three weeks away, tensions will most definitely be high.  We can only hope that the physicality is reserved for the basketball court, and the inevitable trash talk among fans does not amount to a second conflict between both schools.