Seconds before 11 a.m. on the appointed day, Joe Staten turned to his friend and asked, "Are you going to yell it?''

Mark Fitzpatrick didn't want to solo, so the two decided to yell together.

"Food fight!''

Food started flying across the Hilliard Darby High School cafeteria. Kyle Wilgus was hit in the back of the head with a glob of chocolate pudding, then picked up a bagel from a friend's tray and threw it in the direction the pudding came from. And Wilgus wasn't able to avoid the tortilla chicken salad, a main course of the day.

Meanwhile, Fitzpatrick and Staten were hurling food at other nearby targets.

In less than 30 seconds, the April 16 melee was over, stopped by Principal Jeff Reinhart and Hilliard police Officer Mike Deaton.

Fitzpatrick, Staten, Wilgus and two other students were suspended for five days. Staten, because he is 18, was charged with disorderly conduct. The four juveniles face delinquency counts of the same charge.

Kevin Wilgus, Kyle's father, called the criminal charges an overreaction.

"This is grossly beyond what is reasonable,'' he said. "Several days suspension, yes, I can understand that. But criminal charges that will be part of a record? No.''

Hilliard police Lt. Robert Parkey defended the arrests. The students were out of control and created a dangerous situation, he said.

One-fourth of the cafeteria was covered with food, Deaton said in his report. The cafeteria had to be closed before the next group of students could use it.

The food fight had been planned for two weeks, Kyle said. He learned of it only the day it occurred.

About 30 to 40 students were in the cafeteria when the food fight started, Kyle said. Only a handful participated besides the five instigators.

Kyle disputes Deaton's description of the food fight.

"It wasn't such a mess at all,'' he said. "Nothing was closed down.''

Staten, 18, of 3824 Luxair Dr., is scheduled to appear on May 7 in Hilliard Mayor's Court to face his disorderly conduct charge.

The four juveniles charged are Fitzpatrick, 17, of 1846 Hobbes Dr.; Ronny R. Phillips, 16, of 614 Hilliard-Rome Rd.; Jason C. Routson, 17, of 2879 Badger Dr.; and Kyle C. Wilgus, 17, of 8300 Roberts Rd.