When Warwick’s quarterback stepped onto the turf at Grosh Field on a Friday night in October 2014, he knew Penn Manor defenders would be trying to take him down. What he didn’t know was that before the night was over, those same opponents would be lifting him up in prayer.
An injury in the first half
The Warwick quarterback left the game during the first half with an injury. When the teams gathered for the postgame awards, he was noticeably absent. Instead of receiving the offensive game ball for his play, he was receiving medical treatment for what coaches hoped was only an ankle sprain.
An invitation at midfield
Penn Manor’s players waited patiently while Warwick finished its postgame ritual. Then they invited the Warriors to join them on the field to pray for the injured quarterback and others who had been sidelined during the game.
Some Warwick players had already started toward the locker room, but they turned around and returned to midfield, where the Penn Manor players were already kneeling.
Players from the two teams that had just battled so fiercely knelt side by side with heads bowed as coaches gathered around them. Rivals who had been stiff-arming each other minutes earlier now rested their hands on each other’s shoulders. Team members from both squads took turns praying aloud for the injured players.
Nearby, an injured Penn Manor player balanced on crutches, bent at the waist with his head bowed.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like this”
One member of Warwick’s coaching staff was so moved that he said so as he prayed over the group.
“I’ve never been a part of anything like this,” he said.
Why Penn Manor prays
Penn Manor’s quarterback, who helped lead his team’s on-field prayer after every game, explained the tradition afterward.
“It’s a great way to bring things back down to earth after the game,” he said. “You know, tempers are flaring during the game, but after the game you can connect with the other team and know that you’re really all brothers in Christ, and brothers in this world.”
Sportsmanship beyond the scoreboard
Postgame prayer circles have become a familiar sight in high school and college football, often initiated by players themselves. Because they are student-led and voluntary, such gatherings are generally permitted at public school events, while school-sponsored prayer is not.
For many who were at Grosh Field that night, the moment summed up what high school sports are meant to teach: competing hard, respecting your opponent and caring for one another when someone gets hurt.
A rivalry with respect
Warwick and Penn Manor are longtime Lancaster-Lebanon League opponents, and their games are often physical and closely contested. Injuries are an unfortunate part of the sport, and in recent years schools across Pennsylvania have adopted stricter concussion and injury protocols, requiring athletic trainers to evaluate players before they can return to play.
That night, though, the lasting image was not of a hard hit or a big play. It was of two teams kneeling together at midfield, helmets off, heads bowed, hoping for a teammate’s and an opponent’s quick recovery.
Moments like this rarely show up in the box score, but they are often what players, parents and coaches remember long after the season ends. For the Warwick quarterback, recovering on the sidelines, it was a reminder that the people across the line of scrimmage were rooting for him too.
Moments like this are a reminder of what high school sports are meant to teach.
Long after the score is forgotten, players from both teams will remember that moment at midfield.
This article was originally published in October 2014.