Rival teams unite during tough circumstances
October 24, 2019 by Jessica Carnivale, Arizona State University
On Oct. 18, South Mountain football traveled to Betty H. Fairfax in Laveen. This was a very anticipated rivalry game between two teams with the same record, but it did not go according to plan for either school.
The South Mountain Jaguars got an early lead in the game with a field goal on their first drive. With about two minutes left in the first quarter, the Jaguars were leading 17-6, but then gunshots were heard.
The bleachers on the home side evacuated immediately, and all those on the field were instructed to lay on the ground. It was a terrifying sight to see mass panic and hysteria. While some were panicking because of the potential threat, others were oddly calm. Almost chillingly calm.
While lying on the ground waiting for instruction a South Mountain player lying next to me looked over and said, “Get behind me.”
He is a high school student.
His responsibilities should include school, homework and playing football, not trying to protect a stranger from gunshots.
The rest of the team showed similar braveness by comforting each other and staying calm. After a couple of minutes, the team was instructed to go into the locker room, and the attendees were brought into the gym. The athletes were instructed to walk two-by-two into the locker room for their safety.
There was a lot of confusion, and rumors began to swirl about the shooter. While I continued to refresh my Twitter feed I saw tweets rumoring that a Fairfax player was injured, and that it was there was a drive-by shooter. These were inaccurate.
After about a half hour, the police came into the gym and announced that it was safe to leave, and they were unsure if the game will resume.
After discussion between the two teams and officials, everyone decided on playing the remainder of the game with an abbreviated halftime and an almost empty stadium.
Later, the reports came out that gunshots were not fired on school property and there was no one injured in the incident. However, there was an injury on the Fairfax team that happened during the play before the gunshots. According to The Arizona Republic, the player “was taken by ambulance to a hospital and is expected to recover.”
South Mountain kept its focus and won the game 37-20. While the rivalry between the two teams will most likely continue, they came together after the game in unity.
According to The Republic, Jaguars co-head coach Marcus Carter summed up the feeling that this was about more than a game when he addressed both teams following the game: “Too many times people want to put us up against each other and make this rivalry something that it’s really not. We are brothers from one end of the Baseline [Road] to the other end of the Baseline.
"So, don’t let people come in between what we have. People already crap on us because it’s Phoenix Union. But we got a whole bunch of great athletes; whole bunch of great coaches. So, uplift each other, don’t tear each down and we can show these other regions what it’s really about.”
