West Virginia State football players wear decals with the number 22 on their helmets Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to memorialize a fellow player, Jyilek Harrington, who was killed Wednesday.
West Virginia State football players stand in silence before a game against Carson-Newman on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, holding the No. 22 jersey of Jyilek Harrington, who was killed two days earlier.
West Virginia State football players wear decals with the number 22 on their helmets Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, to memorialize a fellow player, Jyilek Harrington, who was killed Wednesday.
West Virginia State football players stand in silence before a game against Carson-Newman on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024, holding the No. 22 jersey of Jyilek Harrington, who was killed two days earlier.
Jyilek Harrington’s death Wednesday already had prompted West Virginia State and Carson-Newman to move their football game to Friday at noon.
Tributes for the Yellow Jackets’ senior linebacker, who was shot to death during an incident that is being investigated by police as a home invasion, were done before and during the game at Lakin-Ray Field at Dickerson Stadium.
WVSU painted the 22-yard-line on each end of the field black to honor Harrington, who wore that number in his one game at State. Each hashmark on the sidelines, as well as the lines at midfield, were painted.
Additionally, the 31-yard-line on each end of the field from sideline to sideline was painted orange, for the number Harrington wore for Carson-Newman last season.
Each team had a decal on the back of their helmets to honor Harrington, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native.
Carson-Newman won a ceremonial opening coin toss, which was predetermined the Eagles would win so they could go on the receiving end.
This allowed the Yellow Jackets defense, where Harrington played linebacker, to take the field with 10 men, instead of 11. The Eagles then took a delay of game penalty, which WVSU declined.
Following the tributes, the game didn’t go the way the Yellow Jackets wanted, as they gave up three first-quarter touchdowns on the way to a 56-25 loss.
Even WVSU’s first touchdown, a 4-yard run by Amare Ary, did little to get the Yellow Jackets back into the game.
“We knew today was an uphill battle, you know, with the adversity that we faced and what we had to go through, but we came out here and gave it our all for four quarters,†Pennington said.
Pennington said he told the Yellow Jackets before the game that the score was irrelevant. Playing for Harrington was what was important.
Carson-Newman coach Ashley Ingram, in his first season with the Eagles, said he did not know Harrington but witnessed his impact on players left behind at the Jefferson City, Tennessee-based school.
“I knew we were playing against a former teammate,†said Ingram, who took the Eagles’ coaching position after Harrington transferred to WVSU.
Ingram said Harrington had been texting Eagles running back Tyler Curtis and made plans to meet up with some of his former teammates at their hotel on Wednesday.
“What I realized very quickly is he meant a lot to the players on our football team,†Ingram said, “and a lot of guys were very emotional.â€
Both coaches agreed to continue with the game, Ingram said, and added that his message to the Eagles was to play a game that Harrington would “be proud of.â€
Following the game, the West Virginia State marching band played a ceremonial version of the school’s alma mater to honor Harrington.
Rick Elmore covers sports. He can be reached at 304-348-5122 or relmore@hdmediallc.com. Follow @ElmoreSports on Twitter/X.
