Friday night fights? Unsettling incidents mar Delaware high school football

Friday Evening Lights means just one factor in America.

That’s highschool soccer video games in hundreds of cities throughout the nation, a practice celebrated by a film and tv sequence by the identify.

However some disturbing incidents at video games in northern Delaware this yr have followers, coaches, and directors on edge.

Take into account the unsettling 911 name made by somebody attending a Brandywine Excessive College on Friday, Sept. 16, whereas on the sector the host Bulldogs had been battling the Howard Wildcats.

“Full chaos. Get right here now,’’ the caller urged the dispatcher.

“Inform me what occurred,’’ the dispatcher responds.

“There’s preventing all over the place. All over the place.”

A number of state and New Fortress County police rushed to the scene, the place they encountered a number of fights involving greater than 30 folks exterior the stadium. 4 youngsters had been arrested.

The following Friday evening, social media lit up with a report that two folks had been shot at a recreation at Appoquinimink Excessive, the place the Jaguars had been enjoying the crosstown Middletown Cavaliers. These on-line stories weren’t correct. Because it turned out, the taking pictures was simply exterior the varsity grounds, and one of many victims was a minor. Followers on the recreation needed to stay in place for as much as an hour, nevertheless, whereas a helicopter landed and officers combed the scene.

One mother or father had reported on social media that the taking pictures stemmed from a disagreement on the recreation, however police haven’t stated whether or not the victims or suspects had any connection to the faculties or the sport.

Then there was the panic earlier in September, possible spurred by social media posts, that brought about a stampede from the Howard part of the stands at Wilmington’s Abessinio Stadium throughout the third quarter of a recreation towards Delaware Navy Academy. The sport was halted.

Donna Polk, govt director of the Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Affiliation that governs highschool sports activities, says some colleges are limiting who can attend video games, or transferring recreation occasions to the afternoon.

“Effectively, we don’t need it to be Friday evening fights,’’ Polk stated. “It’s disheartening that we’re going by way of a time, not simply inside our state, the place we’re confronted with unhealthy conduct and it’s turning violent.”

After the shootings exterior Appoquinimink Excessive, the varsity district decreed that solely college students on the collaborating colleges should buy recreation tickets, and solely on the Wednesday and Thursday earlier than a recreation. On the gate, college students should present their faculty ID.