Friday Night Lights—or Friday Night Fights?

What I Witnessed at Bishop McNamara vs. Concordia Prep

By Michael Phillips

I hadn’t been to a high school football game in years. But on Friday night, I found myself in Forrestville, Maryland, at Bishop McNamara High School, there to support a father who hasn’t seen his son play since a custody battle tore them apart. His son now plays for Concordia Prep out of Baltimore, and I wanted to stand alongside him as he tried to hold onto a piece of fatherhood.

What I witnessed that night was far from the uplifting experience high school football is supposed to be. The student fans in the stands were well-behaved, enthusiastic, and respectful. The teams on the field, however, told a different story.

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Penalties as Offense

From the opening kickoff, it was clear this would not be a typical game. Bishop McNamara, easily the bigger, faster, and more talented squad, racked up what seemed like a dozen unsportsmanlike conduct penalties—so many that it practically became Concordia’s main source of offense.

Every other play, the yellow flag flew. Late hits. Taunting. Personal fouls. It was nonstop. The referees seemed almost overwhelmed by the sheer lack of discipline. And as the game wore on, the inevitable happened: tempers boiled over. With just over three minutes left in the third quarter, a fight broke out. The referees had seen enough. The game was called early, the scoreboard frozen in place as the chaos spilled into reality.

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A Dangerous Lack of Medical Preparedness

But even more disturbing than the penalties and the fight was what happened earlier in the night. Midway through the second quarter, a Concordia player went down with what appeared to be a serious injury.

For a long stretch, he lay face down on the field, unmoving, with only coaches and staff crouched near him trying to offer comfort. The sight was chilling. And then came the realization that made the situation even worse: there was no ambulance on-site. No EMTs. No medical personnel waiting in the wings.

The announcer, who up until then had been giving play-by-play and pumping energy into the stadium, went completely silent. There were no updates for the fans. No reassurance for worried parents. Just an eerie quiet that stretched on and on as the young man remained motionless. Confusion filled the stands, and people began asking each other why no medical help was rushing onto the field.

Anyone who has ever been to a football game at virtually any level—Pop Warner, high school, college, or professional—knows that an ambulance and medical staff are standard. In fact, the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC)—the league Bishop McNamara belongs to—has clear rules requiring that “qualified medical personnel be present at all athletic contests.” Many schools also contract with athletic trainers or local EMS to ensure a unit is stationed on-site.

Maryland state law and local county guidelines reinforce those expectations. Anne Arundel, Baltimore, and Montgomery Counties, for instance, mandate that athletic trainers be present at varsity football games. Prince George’s County, where McNamara is located, has long followed similar best practices. To not have EMTs or an ambulance on hand for a full-contact sport like football is, at best, negligence—and at worst, a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Instead, this player had to wait more than half an hour before EMTs even arrived. Police cars showed up. A fire truck pulled in. Only later did an ambulance finally reach the stadium—well over an hour after the injury. The player, suspected of suffering a broken collarbone and possible neck injury, had to be carefully stabilized, placed on a stretcher, and carted off on a golf cart before he could be transported.

For all that time, he lay there in pain, while fans and parents sat in silence, unsure of what was happening, and without any medical professional able to provide immediate care.

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High School Football Should Be Better Than This

Football is supposed to teach discipline, resilience, and teamwork. It’s meant to build character, not showcase chaos. Friday night in Forrestville was the opposite: a team with talent but little control, a game marred by endless penalties and fights, and a shocking lack of preparation for something as foreseeable as a serious injury.

The fans—young students cheering for their schools—did their part. They showed school spirit and good behavior. But the adults responsible for ensuring discipline and safety on the field fell far short.

For the father I stood with that night, simply seeing his son play was the highlight. But even he left shaking his head at what had unfolded.

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Who Will Be Held Accountable?

The WCAC and Bishop McNamara administration owe parents answers. Why was there no ambulance or medical team on-site? Why was a player left lying face down for nearly an hour without proper care? And why was a team allowed to rack up a dozen unsportsmanlike penalties before things predictably boiled over into a fight?

Families entrust schools with more than just education. They entrust them with the safety and development of their children. On Friday night, that trust was broken.

Friday night lights should never dim because of failure, neglect, or a lack of discipline. Unfortunately, at Bishop McNamara, that’s exactly what happened.