A Mississippi high school football player issued a public apology on social media for his role in a fight that ended with the ejection of several players, suspension of the game and a panic in the stadium where the game was being played.

Cordero McBride, a senior defensive back for Yazoo City High School, made the apology in a short Facebook video posted by his mother, Christy Stiff.

“I would like to apologize for what happened at Vicksburg last night. I did not mean for it to go that way,” McBride said. “I was just being a team player. My emotions were running high. We were losing pretty bad. I will work on myself and it won’t happen again.”

In the post, Stiff also apologized on behalf of her son. She said she talked to him about the incident for four hours after the game. She described her son as a “good child” who made a mistake.

“On behalf of my son me as a mother felt it was needed cause so many people judge and don’t know how disciplined I raised my children … I talked to him and explained that you can do good all your life but people will see you do one thing bad and hang it over your head for life,” Stiff wrote. “I don’t have to keep screaming my son back ground because it shows when I go places they tell me he’s a good child good grades GPA and never smoked nor did drugs. I don’t get calls from the school I don’t get come pick my son up he has been suspended … (I know) there going to be a change.”

The fight in Friday’s game started when Yazoo City offensive lineman Jabarius Oliver yanked Vicksburg defensive back Michael Johnson down hard by his facemask at the end of a long interception return.

As Vicksburg High defensive lineman Demarcus Johnson confronted Oliver about the play, McBride ran up from behind and shoved Johnson in the back, causing Johnson to fall to the ground. That sparked a shoving match between about a dozen players, which then escalated into several brief fights. McBride and Vicksburg’s Dennis Battle slung each other to the ground in one of the encounters.

The fracas was quickly broken up, but not before players on both sides threw punches at each other. That led to the ejection of five Vicksburg players and several more from Yazoo City. An ejection carries an automatic suspension for a team’s next game, which for Vicksburg is the MHSAA Region 2-6A opener at Neshoba Central on Oct. 6. Yazoo City’s next game is also Oct. 6, at Gentry.

A number of Vicksburg players also left the bench area as they rushed to help their teammates, which could lead to other suspensions or sanctions for the team and school. The fight occurred along Vicksburg’s sideline, just outside the bench area that ends at the 15-yard line.

VHS head coach Christopher Lacey said Sunday afternoon that he has not yet heard a ruling from the MHSAA about possible suspensions. A meeting is scheduled for Monday.

Following the fight, the game was called at the request of Yazoo City head coach Justin Washington to help prevent any more incidents. Vicksburg was leading the game 35-0 and a running clock was being used in accordance with MHSAA rules because of the lopsided score.

After the game, two other unrelated incidents involving fans were also reported. A fight near the entrance gate along Lee Street caused fans to run through the stands in panic. Another fight was broken up near the VHS band hall, which is located about 200 yards from Memorial Stadium across Lee Street.

Vicksburg Police Department chief Penny Jones said Vicksburg Police Department chief Penny Jones said officers responded to two separate postgame fights and arrested one individual. It did not appear that the fight between the players and the ones outside the stadium were connected.

Vicksburg’s homecoming dance was canceled because of the incidents. It has been rescheduled for Friday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m. in the VHS gym. Tickets are available through GoFan.co.