Collierville (Tenn.) High School football laid the hammer on Whitehaven (Memphis, Tenn.) on Friday with a 28-6 victory, but the game wasn’t on the forefront of the minds of many.
A day prior, 15 people were shot inside a Kroger grocery store in Collierville. One woman was killed and three remain in critical condition as of Saturday morning, according to the Commercial Appeal.
Police Chief Dale Lane called the shooting “the most horrific event that’s occurred in Collierville history.”
On Friday night, Collierville High School got the win, but the game itself wasn’t as important as bringing the community together through it. Following the game, the Dragons rang the bell for the town, with head coach Joe Rocconi proclaiming “This is for the whole community.”
Collierville Post Game: "This is for the whole community" pic.twitter.com/pmOKWLd6hr
— The Zone (@sportszonetv1) September 25, 2021
“We talked about it and we were just hoping that maybe the town can come out, forget about it, just for a few hours,” Rocconi said Memphis Sports Zone after the game.
“I know they’re not going to erase it, but maybe give them something to take their mind off of it.”
Whitehaven scored the first touchdown of the game, but the Dragons shut them out the remaining three quarters and rattled off 28 straight points. They improve to 6-0 on the season.
