HARPER WOODS (WWJ) – Saturday's regional final football game between Harper Woods High School and Divine Child has been moved.
Last Friday, just minutes before the end of the playoff game between Harper Woods and Chandler Park Academy, a fight broke out.
Shots were fired and a 17-year-old from Warren was hit by a stray bullet in the lower torso. His injuries were considered non-life threatening and he was treated at the scene before he was taken to the hospital.
Harper Woods won that game and punched their ticket to the regional final at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 15.
The 11-0 Pioneers were supposed to have home field advantage, as they are the higher seed over Divine Child, but safety concerns led to the location of the game being moved to John Glenn High School in Westland.
According to Michigan High School Athletic Association Spokesperson Geoff Kimmerly, Harper Woods suggested hosting the game with limited or no fan attendance.
“We also wanted to make sure to create an environment where as many fans could come and support both teams,” said Kimmerly.
“We felt like at this late state of the tournament, it’s just appropriate for both teams to be able to have their full fan bases there, as well as families and friends who have supported these teams all season to be able to attend that game, if they would like.”
The change caused some buzz on social media. The neutral site is over 30 miles away from Harper Woods and seven from Divine Child in Dearborn.
“There’s obviously been some conversation about it being closer to Divine Child than Harper Woods,” said Kimmerly. “But, it was the closest school we had that was ready to host this game this quickly.”
The winner of Saturday's game will move on to the state semifinals next weekend.