Pueblo South disqualified from Cannon Game for sideline brawl, cannon booms gold for East

The 47th Cannon Game between Pueblo South and Pueblo East high schools ended Friday with a bang, or rather a brawl, as a fight broke out in the waning moments of the first half and resulted in the entire South team being disqualified.

Pueblo East was leading 23-0 with a minute remaining in the half when a South player was hit late out of bounds on the South sideline, igniting the fight that would spell the game's end and give East ownership of the Cannon for the first time since 2018.

Leading up to the fight, the game was chippy from the start. Both teams were visibly on edge and pumped up for the historic rivalry game.

East took the lead early in the game with a touchdown pass from Zayden Stevens to Izaiah Trujillo to go up 7-0. Shortly after, East's Sebastian Freeman picked off Colts quarterback Kaleb Ortiz and returned it 65 yards for a touchdown to go up 14-0.

Stevens then threw another touchdown pass early in the second quarter to wideout Zach Madril to take a 21-0 lead. Later in the second quarter, the Eagles scored a safety after a botched snap in the South end zone forced South's punter to fall on the football, putting the Eagles up 23-0.

With just a few minutes left in the half, the Colts began mounting a drive but a late hit out of bounds by an Eagles defender, who drove the South receiver into the Colts bench, caused the melee. The ensuing fight saw players and coaches from both sides getting involved.

Referees, security, and even police personnel immediately came onto the field to break up the fight. Shortly after both sides were separated, the referees called the game for the Eagles via South's disqualification. Officials from the Colorado High School Activities Association announced immediately after the game that its result will officially stand.

The Pueblo School District 60 board of directors and Pueblo police on site deemed the traditional exchanging of the cannon would not happen on the field and that ownership of the cannon will be transferred at a later date.

Both South and East's athletic directors and coaches declined to comment to the Chieftain after the game.

Further information regarding possible suspensions for players, coaches or others associated with the fight was not immediately available Friday night.

Before the big game:Pueblo South, East football ready for 45th Cannon Game rivalry tilt on Friday

Christopher Abdelmalek is a sports reporter for the Pueblo Chieftain and can be reached at cabdelmalek@gannett.com or on Twitter: @chowebacca