Carson Wentz, Eagles welcome HS players to conclude game suspended due to shooting
It was a somber Wednesday football game at Lincoln Financial Field, but the Philadelphia Eagles were able to bring some smiles ahead of the New Jersey high school football game played there.
The state playoff game between Pleasantville and Camden was suspended during the third quarter Friday night when several gunshots rang out in the bleachers. Three were injured, including a 10-year-old boy who died of his injuries shortly before the game resumed at the Eagles facility. The state athletics governing body decided to resume the game at a neutral location to play “without outside distraction” and closed it to the public.
Eagles players including Carson Wentz, Alshon Jeffery, Fletcher Cox, Zach Ertz, Jason Kelce and coach Doug Pederson met with the teams before the game began around 4 p.m. ET.
On Friday night, the high school football playoff game between Pleasantville and Camden was postponed following a shooting.
Today we welcome them as they finish the game at @LFFStadium. pic.twitter.com/xGALNxZMym— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 20, 2019
Eagles greeting both teams @PHS_Greyhounds @YouGotTheHigh @YouGotTheHigh @SavageDwayne @TheHIGHFB pic.twitter.com/kncIjgy1Fc
— Kevin Minnick 🏈🏀⚾️ (@kminnicksports) November 20, 2019
Zach Ertz meets some Pleasantville kids. The mood has gone from eerily silent to a bit more joyous on what remains a sad day pic.twitter.com/IwGH5si4aJ
— Kevin Minnick 🏈🏀⚾️ (@kminnicksports) November 20, 2019
Brandon Graham, Fletcher Cox and Carson Wentz greeting players. @TheHIGHFB @YouGotTheHigh @PurpleNGold_AD @SavageDwayne @PHS_Greyhounds @csacco22 @SJGridironGang pic.twitter.com/zkejAG5TkF
— Josh Friedman (@JFriedman57) November 20, 2019
The teams had full introductions similar to the Eagles introductions on Sundays and were welcomed to personalized tags in the locker rooms. Wentz said before the game it was the least his team could do to bring joy to a difficult situation for the high school players.
Carson Wentz lends some perspective @PHS_Greyhounds @YouGotTheHigh @SavageDwayne @TheHIGHFB pic.twitter.com/TuXgvx9ydp
— Kevin Minnick 🏈🏀⚾️ (@kminnicksports) November 20, 2019
“[We’re] trying to bring some joy, trying to bring some hope, put a smile on their face,” Wentz said.
Camden built on its 6-0 lead from Friday and moved on with a 22-0 victory.
Plenty of mutual respect pic.twitter.com/LazTipiX7W
— Kevin Minnick 🏈🏀⚾️ (@kminnicksports) November 20, 2019
Six were arrested over the weekend for their involvement in the shooting. The shooter, Alvin Wyatt, is now charged with murder after Micah Tennant, a 10-year-old fifth-grader who was shot in the neck in the stands, died of his injuries on Wednesday. The two others are expected to recover.
Wyatt, 31, reportedly had a petty grudge with Ibn Abdullah, 27. Abdullah is also charged in the incident and was one of the three shot.
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