Thousands to watch Oxford play first home football game since deadly shooting

There will be a football game played at Oxford High School on Friday night.

That, in itself, is not newsworthy. Fall is approaching, it's Friday, there's football. But the evening figures to be an extra emotional one for the Oakland County township of more than 22,000. It's the first home football game since the tragic shooting in November that left four students dead, and several others injured.

A crowd of several thousand, including media from at least 50 outlets, locally and nationally, is expected when Oxford hosts Birmingham Groves.

"Our community is going to turn out strong," said Tony DeMare, Oxford's athletic director. "This is, you know, a town that really embraces athletics, and I expect Friday night to really galvanize our community. I think it will be a way for everyone in Oxford to really stand alongside each other, come together and take another step in recovering together, and just leaning on each other."

Gates open at 6 p.m., with a pregame tribute scheduled to start around 7:15 — featuring performances from the band, as well as tribute videos. One of the videos will honor Tate Myre, 16, the Oxford star football player who was one of the four students killed Nov. 30. Myre's family will be in attendance; his father, Buck, has joined the Oxford football coaching staff for this season.

The family has launched the 42 Strong foundation; 42 was Myre's number. There has been talk that the number might be retired by the school. DeMare wouldn't confirm that.

The tribute also will honor victims Madisyn Baldwin, 17; Hana St. Juliana, 14; and Justin Shilling, 17.

There will be no pregame ceremonies. Bally Sports Detroit will air the ceremony live, on BSD+ and BSD Extra. Bally Sports Detroit will broadcast the game, which is expected to start around 7:40.

Oxford opened the season last week at Romeo, falling, 34-7. Oxford was wearing TM42 stickers. That game was the first step toward healing for Oxford. Friday night's game will be the next step, and biggest yet. Oxford's last home football game was Oct. 22, more than a month before the deadly shooting.

"Athletics provide a natural outlet for grieving," DeMare said. "It's where your emotions can live. There's license to just kind of let it all loose, you know, in an athletic contest. I think it provides something not only for the student-athletes, but I really have seen athletics become extremely therapeutic for our coaches, for our families, for our spectators, and the entire community.

"There's no question, we're a school and a community that is still grieving. Everyone handles that differently, everyone recovers differently. I would hope that seeing our student-athletes competing and being out there doing something that they love would offer a small bit in the recovery process for everyone involved."

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tpaul@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @tonypaul1984