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Sports

BHHS Clashes with Rival at Football Tournament

Beverly and Culver City forfeit in the semifinals.

Beverly Hills High School made it into the semifinals of its own 7-on-7 passing tournament on Saturday when quarterback Josh Newman hit on a long touchdown pass in the last minute of play against La Puente Bishop Amat.

But once there, the Normans were matched against Ocean League rival Culver City and a chippy, high-voltage game got away from both teams when a sideline-clearing skirmish broke out following a play. Tempers flared and heated words were exchanged. Some bodies were thrown around.

In a commendable decision both teams ended up forfeiting the game.

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''Whenever we play, it doesn't matter where we are, it doesn't matter what sport, it's always high emotions," Beverly Hills Athletic Director Carter Paysinger said. "The teams got into it. We broke it up. They felt the same way we felt. Let's end it and send a message to these kids that that's not how we do it out here.''

The double forfeit left the championship of the "Best in the West" passing tournament to Palmdale Highland, which beat Torrance West in the other semifinal.

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While the Bulldogs were collecting their trophy for winning the tournament, the Normans were collecting trash and cleaning up after the other 18 teams that participated in the event.

The tournament included 2009-10 CIF champions Mira Costa (Western Division) and Upland (Central), perennial L.A. City contender Dorsey, as well as Highland, Bishop Amat and Palos Verdes.

Newman, a returning starter, played well. A young group of receivers showed promise. Defensively, the Normans' back seven was solid throughout the long day. Beverly Hills made it through pool play in the morning and came from behind in the elimination tournament to beat Bishop Amat, which went 10-2 last season. There were a lot of positives, none perhaps more important than the final lesson.

''I think they're going to take what we want out of this,'' Paysinger said about his players' sideline behavior. ''We came out here to do one thing and that's play football and stay within what we do. Be respectful to everybody out on the field, play hard."

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