Outpouring of support for Penn Wood

We had a very special guest join us last night for our 'Live From the Newsroom,' which we used to kick off the football season.

We have a very special new addition to our award-winning high school sports package this fall. Online readers now find everything they could possible want to know about Delco high schools at GameTimePa. We're partnering with our sister papers to present comprehensive coverage not only from Delco, but extended to Montgomery, Chester, Bucks, Berks, Lancaster and York counties as well.

If you missed the show, you can catch the replay here.

But this show was about a lot more than football. Our special guest Troy Brooks knows that better than most.

Brooks is the head coach at Penn Wood High. They dropped their opener last Friday against West Chester East.

It doesn't matter. Brooks, his staff, and in particular these kids are still winners.

That's because they had to overcome more serious obstacles than just the opposition on the field. It seems someone has it in for the Patriots, or at least Penn Wood High.

A few days before their opener, someone broke into the team's storage room at Kerr Field in Yeadon and stole some valuable equipment - helmets, pads, shoulder pads. It turned out to be thousands of dollars of stuff the team desperately needs to take the field.

It wasn't the first problem at Penn Wood. The band had a lot of their musical instruments ripped off as well. All this comes in the wake of last spring's bomb threats and arson fire that forced officials to shut down the Green Street building.

Brooks and his team were undeterred. So, it seems, was the Penn Wood community.

Last night Brooks said he was overwhelmed at the outpouring of support for Penn Wood, in particular from other Delco teams, many of which donated equipment to the Patriots.

Brooks was effusive in his praise for the Philadelphia Eagles, for the way they responded to his team's plight. He called the Birds a "Big Brother."

Good for them. And good for Penn Wood.

There are a lot of good people in Delaware County. That would include the William Penn School District. Kudos to all those who stepped up to help this program in their moment of need.

And special thanks go out to the Eagles, for showing themselves to be a class organization in reaching out to help a struggling program that was hit with one more blindside tackle.

Penn Wood did not win their opener against West Chester East. Chip Kelly and the Birds may or may not be victorious Monday night in D.C. against the Redskins.

It doesn't matter. Both have already won big. The kids by learning a lesson in how a community reaches out to those struggling against some unfair odds, and the Eagles for showing how a big-time pro organization can come to the aid of a local program in need.

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