Marty O’Brien, mjobrien@dailypress.com
Originally Published: September 12, 2024 at 2:33 p.m.
The shooting of a high school student in Newport News this week, and online threats of school shootings in Hampton, led to the postponement of the Menchville-Bethel football game scheduled for Thursday night at Darling Stadium. No makeup date has been announced.
Efforts to reach Newport News Public Schools and Hampton City Schools spokespersons were not immediately successful. But Bethel head football coach David Porter, who learned about the postponement of the game at 11 a.m. on Thursday, said he understood the shooting in Newport News and the shooting threats in Hampton were among the reasons for the postponement.
On Tuesday morning, a 15-year-old Menchville High student was shot to death as he waited at a school bus stop in southeast Newport News. On Wednesday, officials said several Hampton schools were mentioned in anonymous online posts that threatened shootings.
Porter said he would’ve preferred the game was played as scheduled, even in front of an empty stadium, but added, “I understand student safety is also first and (administration) has got to do what they can to protect those kids.”
Menchville coach Rodney Taylor said, “I would expect when something like that is going on in the city, they want to make sure everyone is safe at any venue. The parents and more so the students.”
Taylor said he addressed the death of the Menchville student at his team’s practice Wednesday and kept that practice “light” in case any of the players wished to talk about it.
“We took a moment to address those guys about making good decisions, watching the company you keep and being very mindful about the things you’re involved in,” Taylor said. “Everyone was still in shock.
“It’s a traumatic event, so everyone’s still trying to process what’s going on and why this had to happen. We want to make sure to address (the players) first as human beings and not just being football players. You want to make sure they have time to process (it) and get their feelings together.
Again, this isn’t normal or happens every day. It’s a tragic event that hits home.”
Originally Published: September 12, 2024 at 2:33 p.m.
The shooting of a high school student in Newport News this week, and online threats of school shootings in Hampton, led to the postponement of the Menchville-Bethel football game scheduled for Thursday night at Darling Stadium. No makeup date has been announced.
Efforts to reach Newport News Public Schools and Hampton City Schools spokespersons were not immediately successful. But Bethel head football coach David Porter, who learned about the postponement of the game at 11 a.m. on Thursday, said he understood the shooting in Newport News and the shooting threats in Hampton were among the reasons for the postponement.
On Tuesday morning, a 15-year-old Menchville High student was shot to death as he waited at a school bus stop in southeast Newport News. On Wednesday, officials said several Hampton schools were mentioned in anonymous online posts that threatened shootings.
Porter said he would’ve preferred the game was played as scheduled, even in front of an empty stadium, but added, “I understand student safety is also first and (administration) has got to do what they can to protect those kids.”
Menchville coach Rodney Taylor said, “I would expect when something like that is going on in the city, they want to make sure everyone is safe at any venue. The parents and more so the students.”
Taylor said he addressed the death of the Menchville student at his team’s practice Wednesday and kept that practice “light” in case any of the players wished to talk about it.
“We took a moment to address those guys about making good decisions, watching the company you keep and being very mindful about the things you’re involved in,” Taylor said. “Everyone was still in shock.
“It’s a traumatic event, so everyone’s still trying to process what’s going on and why this had to happen. We want to make sure to address (the players) first as human beings and not just being football players. You want to make sure they have time to process (it) and get their feelings together.
Again, this isn’t normal or happens every day. It’s a tragic event that hits home.”
