Sharon police and school officials are still trying to figure out what started a melee that erupted during a basketball game at Sharon High School Saturday night.

Police estimate between 70 and 100 young people were involved with the brawl that started at about 9:30 p.m. in the stands at the basketball game between Sharon and Farrell.

Sharon police Capt. Michael Menster said investigators have no idea who or what started the fight, but that it appears only youth were fighting.

Four policemen were already at the game for security purposes, Menster said. When they went into the stands to break up the fight, some people in the crowd turned on them, he said.

Menster described the incident as "very, very ugly," and said the crowd was punching and kicking the policemen and even grabbing for their guns. One policeman was treated at the hospital of Sharon Regional Health System after he was pushed down the bleachers, Menster said.

Ed Newmeyer, director of marketing at Sharon Regional, said seven people were treated for chemical agent exposure from pepper spray and four were treated for injuries related to the incident.

Police from Southwest Mercer County Regional, Sharpsville, Hermitage and the Mercer County Sheriff's Office helped control the crowd, Menster said.

Eventually the fight was moved out of the gym but the fighting continued in the school's commons area, Menster said. He said school officials were "knocked around" as they tried to subdue the crowd and several adults who tried to help also were assaulted.

"Fortunately, there were no major injuries that we heard of. We had a lot of people banged up," Menster said. "The situation just got out of control."

Menster said emergency room personnel called police because of another fight at the hospital.

Newmeyer claimed there was no "melee" at the hospital, but "because of the confrontation at the high school, the tensions of the family members and friends of those being treated were high." He added that the injured and their friends and family members were "vocal." Police "assured that order would be maintained" at the hospital, he said.

Though "numerous juveniles" were taken into custody, only one adult was arrested. Police charged Jesse J. Wilson, 20, of 709 Sherman Ave., Sharon, with two counts of aggravated assault of a police officer, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, rioting and disorderly conduct.

Wilson, a former Farrell High School football star who is now a strong safety for the University of Cincinnati and is listed by the school's Web site as a criminal justice major, was in Mercer County Jail this morning after failing to post $20,000 bond. He was arraigned by District Justice Lawrence T. Silvis, Worth Township. Menster said he didn't know if Wilson started the fight, but he tried to prevent police from getting to the fight and then fought with them.

According to Sharon school Superintendent Richard Rossi, Sharon Police Chief Tom Burke, the school board and administration would "recap" the incident during a meeting this morning.

"We've invited the Farrell school district. We want to make sure it never happens again," Rossi said, adding that the Farrell and Sharon sports rivalry is a "long-standing tradition."

Farrell High School Principal Charles Sanitate said this morning school officials aren't "at liberty to discuss this until we get a handle on it."

Menster said after the investigation he anticipates a number of youth will be petitioned to juvenile court on a variety of charges ranging from disorderly conduct to assault and rioting.

Rossi said district officials will address discipline within the district once the investigation is complete.

"In my 31 years as an administrator and an educator I've seen nothing of this magnitude," Rossi said. "I'm thankful that no one was seriously injured."

You can e-mail Herald Staff Writers Kristen Garrett and Sherris Moreira-Byers at:

kgarrett@sharon-herald.com