The Virginian-Pilot
©
PORTSMOUTH
Norcom wide receiver Rashawn “Peanut” Finney, an 18-year-old senior who was shot seven times at a party two weeks ago, died Friday morning from his injuries.
Finney is the fourth football player from South Hampton Roads to be killed by gunfire in 2008. Another player, former Salem standout Kevin Whaley, was shot and injured.
“It’s just a tough situation,” said Norcom football coach Larry Archie, who addressed his team for nearly 30 minutes Friday morning. “ I have to put my emotions on the back burner for the sake of my team because I know there are a lot of young men who are hurting.
“They’re looking for some strength and I have to be there. I’m hurting, too. But I have to be strong for my players and my coaches as well.”
Finney’s mother, Desiree, said her son seemed to be doing better earlier in the week but that his condition worsened on Thursday. He had been unconscious and on a ventilator since the night he was shot.
Jarrel Dufore Eldridge, 23, was arrested in connection with the shooting and charged with malicious wounding, using a gun during a felony and use or possession of a gun by a convicted felon. Upgraded charges were pending for him.
Finney’s team was set to play Maury on Friday, but two separate incidents forced Norfolk Public School officials to postpone that night’s football games to this afternoon, said Michael Spencer, chief of operations for Norfolk schools. Spencer did not characterize the incidents, but said one happened in the Granby area of the city and another happened in the Maury section.
After consulting with Norfolk police, they decided it was best not to play any games on Friday night, Spencer said.
The Norcom-Maury game, which will be Maury’s homecoming, will be played today at 1 p.m. at Powhatan Field; the Granby-Booker T. Washington game will be played at 2 p.m. at Norview High School; and Churchland will play at Lake Taylor at 2 p.m.
Archie and others had heard Thursday night that Finney had died but that doctors were able to revive him.
“I had heard (Thursday) night that he had passed then almost a minute later we heard that he was stable,” said Norcom athletic director Oronde Andrews.
Archie said he hopes his teammates remember Finney as a hard worker.
“He’s the kind of kid who wanted to run one more dash and then afterward he would say, 'Thanks coach for the workout,’” Archie said. “He was the captain this year but he’s been the leader of the team for two years. He wasn’t the most gifted kid but he worked so hard.”
Linebacker Demontray Ryland said he was with Finney the night before he was shot.
“He was like a brother to me,” he said. “He was a role model for me. If it weren’t for him, I don’t think we’d be 4-0 right now. He was the one everybody listened to because he was the voice of our team.”
Linebacker Michael Terrell said, “Words can’t describe the type of anger and pain we’re feeling. We want to know why this happened to us and why it had to happen to our captain, to the person who kept us together.”
Archie said he has spoken to many people, including Lake Taylor coach Hank Sawyer, on how to help his team grieve. Former Titan player Derrius Walton was shot and killed earlier this year.
“My thing is to be a rock for them,” Archie said. “That’s what Rashawn Finney was for this team. This guy was my rock, too.”
Maury football coach John Quinerly said he and his team were caught totally off-guard by the games’ postponements. He said he didn’t learn until 3 p.m., when many of the players were already getting dressed.
“It’s very frustrating because now you have to get the kids’ morale back up that we had built it up all week,” he said. “Then we just got out of a pep rally and the kids were real hyped and on cloud nine. Now we have to bring them in early in the morning to get them pumped up and focused again.”
Quinerly said he also understood why.
Booker T. Washington coach Ron Bolton said he was looking forward to playing at home but now the game is being moved to Norview High School, a neutral site.
“So it’s kind of a letdown, but I’m trying to look at it in a positive way for us in that we have an extra day to prepare,” he said.
Funeral arrangements weren’t available at press time.
Larry Rubama, (757) 446-2273,larry.rubama@pilotonline.com
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I lost my lil cousin Derrius
I lost my lil cousin Derrius Wu-Wu Walton earlier this year outside a Phoenix AZ niteclub. He was the starting safety on the team and was one year away from transferring to a major division one school. It is sad that yet again we lose one of our athletes to some bull. My condolences goes out to the family of this young man. There has to be new laws passed anyone with me on this, The law would consist of anyone non military or police under the age of 24 found with a gun, will be charged with a felony, and any ammo, a year per round. We are not only losing innocent althletes, we're losing innocent youths everyday, it has to stop soon. To the family I feel your pain, being thru it, but remember you have support from The Odom-Walton family.
IF
he didn't play football would it matter?
I know one major problem:
Taxpayers spend money to have gymnasiums built, and then the gyms are closed for much of the year. All gymnasiums should be open, 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year. Then, when it's midnight on a Saturday evening, teenagers would have something to do: play basketball. Instead, as it is now, they have nothing to do, and they have to create things to do. You know what that leads to...............................
Why are elementary school, middle school, and high school gymnasiums locked up on Sunday afternoons in the summer? At night in April? However, the police station and the ER are always open. Something is wrong here.
Player's Death
I read, with sadness, the account of the death of another young person.
I was astounded at the attitude of the coaches of, both, Maury and Booker T. Washington. They both need to get a grip. It is a GAME. Moving the games for safety seems a small inconvenience. I would bet that the players didn't mind, at all. I am sure it made perfect sense to the parents.
Norcom Football player's untimely death
God Hears All Cries
If I could fly I’d take you under my wings,
Just to comfort you as your pain brings.
Even tears to my own eyes,
But brothers and sisters, God hears all cries.
And although we don’t have all the answers to this world that we live,
Just know God takes from us as well as he gives.
And sometimes we question his techniques and his ways,
But he gives us the answers through our prayers and our praise.
Your pain I know unbearable this is no question,
Just confess it to the Lord as he heals through confessions.
For your prayers are heard, and he is always there,
He knows your limits and how much you can bear.
Through each of our trials, God does have a plan,
We have to build our relationship with him to better understand.
And although we may weep and often ask why,
Brothers and sisters, just remember God hears all cries.
JW
go ahead and blame the firearms
-rather than taking responsibility for raising irrational killers.
People like this just don't "happen", but one could understand those responsible shifting the blame to an inanimate object.
when will it stop
I am very sorry for the family and friends of "PEANUT", I lost a son through youth violence one day short of his 18th birthday. I can truly understand what this mother & father is dealing with at this moment, and I wish them the best. Be strong and stay focused. The violence has to stop. Our youth is destroying our next generation, the sad thing about it all is that it is happening all over the country, city by city. It has to come to a stop. The question is how do you stop it. Mr & Mrs finney stay strong and leave everything in the LORDS hand. Be blessed.
TOO TOO FAMILIAR
As a Norcom mother, I had to leave work to get my girls and listen to them sob in the back seat...horrible. About a month ago, we made a similiar trip to Sentara with a totally different outcome...this friend survived.
I thought I had prepared myself for the worst a week ago and was still floored when I got the call.
My heart instantly broke for his twin..a sweet and respectable young man.
We need to watch our kids more carefully. We have to protect them from the kids who parents dont care if they are at a teenage party with a loaded weapon.
Unfortunately, this is TOO TOO FAMILIAR and TOO TOO SAD.
Dez, stay stronge, pray, pray and pray again. And CONCENTRATE on others that are hurting with you. I will continue to pray for you.
accountability
Once again another young life was snuffed out by crime within the community. And also once again I have yet to hear the local NAACP chapter speak out and DEMAND that the violence come to an end. This HAS to happen each time a senseless crime like this happens. It seems to me that the only time they get involved is when the crime involves someone else to point the finger at. I would believe in their cause if they wouldn't pick and choose in which crimes to support and not. My condolences to the family and friends.
May you rest in peace.
As a teacher at Norcom I can tell you first hand RaShawn was a good kid. Always respectful, always polite, strong in the classroom, and very determined to make it in life. Yesterday was a very sad day, we lost a member of the Greyhound family. My thoughts and prayers go out to his entire family. I have had the pleasure of teaching two of these boys, and they have been brought up in a good way. Another one lost way too young.