In the heat of competitive athletics, tempers at times do flare. For one hour on the clock, players are banging heads and making tackles. High school football can be an emotional game, but those emotions must be channeled into the task at hand. Cool heads must prevail in the most heated of situations.

That did not happen on Oct. 19 at Vicksburg High. What followed was one of the most disgraceful displays of sportsmanship that can be seen on a football field.

Late in Friday’s game against Murrah, the Gators tried an onside kick. Murrah recovered the ball near the VHS sideline. Emotions between a couple of players flared. Coaches and players from both teams became involved and pushes and shoves escalated to the point that a player hit VHS coach Tavares Johnson Sr. over the head with a football helmet. Johnson was knocked to the ground and had to be taken to a hospital, where he was diagnosed with a concussion. Thankfully, his injuries were not worse.

What could have been going through that player’s head to remove his helmet, swing it as a weapon and put coaches and players alike in danger of serious injury? He and only he can answer that question, but we hope he is weighing his actions today. No excuse exists to swing a football helmet at another person. Zero.

The blame — and there is plenty — can be spread among players at Vicksburg High School and their counterparts at Jackson’s Murrah High School. Penalties meted out by the Mississippi High School Activities Association were swift and severe — and 100 percent warranted.

Vicksburg High’s final two games — scheduled against Warren Central and Clinton — were canceled and the season declared over on Tuesday. The Gators will end the season with one win and 10 losses.

The donnybrook also marred the reputations of two fine high schools. We hope each player realizes that what happened is unacceptable in a society. We allow players to participate in football in a way to relieve some aggression or a bit of anger, but through the rules of the game. When emotions erupt into chaos, situations such as on that Friday night occur. The events at Vicksburg Memorial Stadium sully the school and the community.

That will be the last Friday night for VHS’ Gators — at least until next year. Actions have consequences and for the Gators and Mustangs, it’s time to take the medicine in hopes such actions never happen again.