holding call

[stegenref]

Working as HL in a freshman game last night...sweep comes my way...I look ahead of the runner and this A player has a B player in what looks like a death grip...they're holding onto each other for dear life...standing straight up, face to face, with arms around each other. I throw the flag for holding and then continue on with the play. After the play was over I reported the foul to my WH and as he is administering the foul I look over and the players are trying to get these two guys separated....their helmets had gotten hooked up together and they couldn't get them apart. So that's why they were standing so close together. Is that still considered holding?