TURTLE CREEK, Pa. — Friday’s Penn Hills Indians at Woodland Hills Wolverines game was suspended in the fourth quarter after reports of shots fired outside the stadium.
Fans began to flee en masse with 10:50 to play—approximately 10:07 pm — with some shouting that there was a shooting ongoing. Both teams promptly moved to exit the playing field, although massed crowds in the Wolvarena’s close confines delayed the process for several minutes.
What sounded like another gunshot rang out some ten minutes later, audible from the press box, spurring another wave of panicked movement from fans still in the stadium: some scaled the high fences on the ravine side of the historic stadium in their attempts to flee.
At least 11 police vehicles arrived on the premises within ten minutes of the initial incident. The Wolverines were leading the Indians, 26-6 when the game was called due to the suspected shooting.
The Wolverines got out to a hot start, with quarterback Cam Walter dialed in early, getting a significant dash of help from his receiving corps. First, Walter uncorked a 43-yard pass into double coverage that 5-foot-9 sophomore receiver Malik McCloud somehow managed to come down with. Next, he targeted Amere Brown in the right corner of the end zone for a 20-yard score.
Penn Hills worked to establish the run through senior tailback Naytel Mitchell, who single-handedly powered drives, bursting into the secondary for repeated chunk gains. However, fumbles in Woodland Hills territory killed a pair of Indians possessions in the first half alone, preventing them from matching the scoring of Wolverines.
Woodland Hills countered with their own running game. Elijah Nesby showcased his versatility with a grinding 2-yard touchdown run, then scampered for a 43-yard score three plays later—aided by an Indians’ fumble—to put the Wolverines up 19-0.
Mitchell broke the ice for Penn Hills with five minutes remaining in the first half. After a quick defensive possession, the Indians looked poised to cash in again before the half, driving inside the Woodland Hills’ 10-yard line. Mitchell got shaken up after a carry, however, and his replacement promptly fumbled, squashing the scoring chance.
Walter found junior receiver Scoop Smith—proud owner of a Power Four offer from Nebraska—for a 40-yard deep touchdown midway through the third quarter.
Penn Hills threatened to score early in the fourth quarter, but a turnover on downs at the Wolverines’ 2-yard-line killed the rally. The alleged shooting occurred moments later.
In other news, the Wolverines will play the duration of the season without defensive back Niko Andrews, who transferred to Christ School in Asheville, N.C. this offseason. The 6 foot tall junior holds offers from area schools like Robert Morris and Saint Francis, and also visited the Oregon Ducks this summer.
Police could have already been inside the stadium, thus protecting everyone involved in the event. A terrible cultural shift with the improper use of guns. How did we get here?