Blanche Ely-Plantation game halted in fourth quarter by incident outside the stadium

When senior running back Shawn Pascall scored a go-ahead touchdown on a 10-yard run for an 18-16 Blanche Ely lead, no one expected what came next.

Two plays into Plantation’s ensuing drive chaos changed everything.

With 4:21 left in the non-district high school football game, gunshots could be heard just outside the south side of stadium as fans, players, referees hit the turf or ran for cover.

Police with their guns drawn could be seen rushing to the back of the south end zone and out of the stadium. A school authority said two victims possibly suffered gunshot wounds.

The game was called immediately following the incident. It’s unsure if the game would be completed later.

Trailing 6-2 at the half, Plantation took its first lead of the game with 1:56 remaining in the third quarter when Taurus Damon Jr. sprinted off the right side of the Tigers defense untouched for a 77-yard touchdown run and the Colonels led 9-6.

The lead was short-lived as Ely retook the lead at 12-9 on an Omari McNeil 10-yard run with 11:54 left in the fourth quarter.

The Colonels returned the ensuing kickoff to the Tigers 22. Two plays later Andre Harrington scored on a 16-yard run and Plantation took a 16-12 lead.

Lack of offense and a handful of mistakes by both sides resulted in a 6-2 halftime lead by Ely.

The Tigers, behind Paschall’s running, scored on their second possession of the opening half.

Paschall had four carries for 39 yards, including a 5-yard scoring run with 4:14 left in the first quarter. The point after was missed leaving Ely with a 6-0 lead. Paschall had 131 yards 20 carries when the game was called.

Plantation’s only points of the half came on a safety in the second quarter.

The Colonels nearly took the lead just before the half concluded, but Russell George, who caught a pass from quarterback Jayden Chico, had the ball stripped from his hands just before he entered the endzone.

Junior safety Trayvon Mitchell recovered the loose ball in the endzone.

Junior quarterback Omari McNeil has been the catalyst of the Blanche Ely season to date, had only 61 yards passing when the game was called.

He entered Saturday’s game against the Plantation, having passed for 1,622 yards and nine touchdowns in the five games he has started.