St. Francis forfeits Hope Academy game over safety concerns

St. Francis will forfeit Friday’s game against Hope Academy at Altgeld Park.

“It’s a very difficult decision, but we have to make decisions that are in the best interests of the safety of our kids,” Hardwick told the Daily Herald. “In the face of all that I hope Hope understands we have an obligation to keep our kids safe.”

The move comes after gunshots were heard during last week’s Providence vs. Hope Academy game.

“We are disappointed in getting the forfeit,” Hope Academy coach Matt Kelly said. “The kids were excited to play their homecoming game. This decision was something out of our control. We feel like we have a solid plan in place to assure the safety of all the student-athletes and fans that attend our home games. This was an incident that had nothing to do with Hope Academy or anyone in attendance at our game. This was also the first incident in the 13 years we have played at Hope Field. We feel very strongly about the difference we are making in the community and with our students.”

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