Sapulpa’s first home game of the season will come under an increase in security measures following the shooting incident that happened on Friday night at a high school football game between Choctaw and Del City.
The school has released a statement detailing certain rules for the game, including not allowing student backpacks, no re-entry after leaving, and no admittance to the game after half-time.
On Friday night, while Sapulpa was in Sand Springs playing their season opener to the Sandites, a shooter opened fire at the Del City-Choctaw game, killing one 16-year-old teenager and wounding several others, according to the Oklahoman.
Sapulpa will play Tahlequah this week in its first home game of the season. The additional security measures are being put in place as a precaution.
See the school’s full statement below.
Dear Chieftains, parents and guardians,
We love gathering together on Chieftain football nights to cheer for our home team, and we want our games to be a safe and fun environment for our students and our community.
In light of recent events involving schools across the region and the state of Oklahoma, we cannot stress enough the importance of safety and security at our football games.
Sapulpa Public Schools’ administrative team, along with our safety and security team, have secured an increased law enforcement presence for this Friday night’s game.
We have put enhanced rules and regulations in place for the 2023 football season, which will be enforced at home football games.
These rules will be in effect:
- No student backpacks allowed inside Collins Stadium
- No re-entry
- No entry after half-time
- Students in 8th – 12th grades must have their current school ID to enter the game
- If students in 8th – 12th grades do not have their current school ID, they must be accompanied by a guardian or an adult, or they cannot enter the stadium
- Students in PK – 7th grades must be accompanied by an adult, or they cannot enter the stadium
- Parents of unaccompanied students will be contacted
- No firearms or weapons of any kind
- No alcohol
- No coolers
- No footballs, beach balls, baseballs, etc.
- No laser pointers
- No pets with the exception of registered service animals; service animal documentation is required
- Graduates will be charged the adult admission price of $7 ($5 for children & senior citizens; no admission for Blue Card members, age 55+ )
As part of the district calendar, there will be no school on Friday, September 1, or Monday, September 4 for Labor Day.
Again, the first home varsity football game of the regular season is this Friday, September 1, against Tahlequah at Collins Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. We will communicate with you prior to Friday’s game in case of further adjustments to the security protocols.
Thank you for your support of Sapulpa Public Schools and for taking care to observe these rules for the safety of our students, staff, families, and guests.
Sincerely,
Sapulpa Public Schools
