MIAMI — While Don Mattingly dissected the Phillies’ loss Tuesday night in the visiting manager’s office at loanDepot Park, his postgame comments were periodically interrupted by the crack of bat meeting ball.
The window next to his desk overlooked the batting cage, and behind the closed blinds, several Phillies players were getting in some extra swings. Brandon Marsh was one of them.
The team had just fallen to the Marlins, 1-0, in a four-hit effort. Marsh had gone 0-for-4, dropping his batting average, which had once led the majors, to .280.
That number next to his name has been in steady free fall since the All-Star break, as Marsh finds himself in the first prolonged slump of his season. In 82 at-bats in July, the left fielder has a .146 batting average and .442 OPS. His struggles have gone along with the Phillies’, as they have a 3-9 record since the break.
Two weeks removed from being one of the Phillies’ three All-Star starters, Marsh has lost his everyday role. His struggles against lefties have returned; in July, he has a 48% strikeout rate and .330 OPS against left-handed pitching.
“Marshy’s just been struggling. I mean, that’s pretty clear,” Mattingly said.
Brandon Marsh was batting .301 going into his first All-Star Game on July 14. He’s hitting .116 since.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
Marsh is not a stranger to this. Last April, he found rock bottom. It was a slump so deep it overshadowed the career season he went on to put together over the next five months. But as he clawed his way out of it, he learned a lot about himself.
“Just keep grinding, man,” Marsh said. “Just gotta keep going. Baseball’s a hard game. Even the best fail more than they succeed, so you just gotta keep going.”
Marsh couldn’t identify one thing that has been going wrong for him with his approach at the plate this month. But his line drive rate has dropped from 24.4% across the first three months of the season to 11.1% in July.
Accordingly, his ground ball rate (47.2%) and fly ball rate (41.5%) have spiked.
It all contributes to a .176 batting average on balls in play this month. BABIP measures how often balls put in the field of play result in hits, excluding strikeouts and home runs from the calculation. And it’s been one of Marsh’s biggest strengths not just this season, but since he broke into the league.
Luck can be one contributor to a high BABIP, but Marsh has sustained a .368 career marker, which places him behind only Ty Cobb (.378) among MLB hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances. The MLB average this season is .290.
In other words, Marsh historically has a knack for hitting the ball where defenders aren’t, but it just hasn’t been happening for him in July. (The only month in his entire career in which Marsh had a lower BABIP than this one? That would be the aforementioned March/April 2025, when it was .115.)
“Those pitchers are good, man. So you just gotta keep going,” Marsh said. “Yeah, maybe swinging a little bit too much out of the zone, could tone it back a little bit, but I’ve also hit a lot of those pitches in my career. Just going through a little grind right now. We’ll be all right.”
After Marsh’s extra work in the cage postgame on Tuesday, he snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a single off Marlins starter Jacob Gusto on Wednesday. He chased a pitch well below the zone to do it, but it resulted in a line drive to center that found some grass.
It contributed to the Phillies’ early six-run rally against Miami, which they ultimately coughed up to lose 8-6 in their latest deflating defeat. In his two plate appearances after the hit, Marsh grounded out and struck out on a fastball above the strike zone.
“With him, like anybody else, we got to just keep working through it,” Mattingly said. “Probably his first prolonged struggle this year, so he’s going to come out of it, too. We just keep working and make sure he stays in a good head space, and keeps moving forward in this situation.”
The work remains the same. That’s one thing Marsh learned from last season: to keep moving forward and not to dwell on failure, or even success. Earlier this year, when he was leading the majors in batting average, he reminded himself not to focus too much on it. The nature of baseball is that everyone cools off at some point.
“Nobody’s going to remember this little stretch of his if he gets hot and down the stretch, he’s helping us win games,” interim manager Don Mattingly (right) says of Marsh.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer
But just like he knew then he would slump again, Marsh knows now he will find his way out of it.
“There’s going to be a light at this end of this, and it’s going to get going again,” Mattingly said. “So we got to make sure we stay in that space, and because he’s not getting anything that’s happened at this point back, good or bad. So it’s really what happens. Nobody’s going to remember this little stretch of his if he gets hot and down the stretch, he’s helping us win games. You get past it.”
We’re one week in from the news that LeBron James is coming to Philadelphia, two days of Eagles training camp in the books, and a few days away from Monday’s MLB trade deadline.
That means we’ll continue to ponder how each of these teams will look in the coming weeks.
Maybe the Phillies will have addressed their need for a fifth starter or secured a right-handed hitting outfielder. (Or get help from their stars, more on that below.)
We’ll also begin to see how the Eagles’ offensive scheme works under coordinator Sean Mannion and the depth chart on defense. One area of clarity is Jihaad Campbell’s role. Now healthy, the former first-rounder looks poised to take a leap in his second year as an Eagle. Jeff Neiburg tells us why.
For the Sixers, there are still two months to go until we’ll see how this star-studded group meshes together. What we do know is that this is now a team with legitimate championship aspirations.
However, it’s going to take a lot more than individual talent to win. Gina Mizell analyzes what the Sixers will need from each of their five starters to get there.
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio met the media for the first time in 2026 training camp on Thursday, touching on a range of topics.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio noted on Thursday that it “remains to be seen” if star pass rusher Jonathan Greenard will return to the practice field before Week 1 against the Washington Commanders. Still, Fangio didn’t express too much concern over Greenard’s absence from practice.
“He’s a veteran player, so he knows the league, knows how to play,” Fangio said. “But we’re going to be asking him to do some different things that he hadn’t had to do in his career, and that’s really what he’s going to be missing with this time off. He’s going to miss a good bit of camp.”
Fangio also spoke about the rest of the defense, including the battle for a starting safety job and Zack Baun winning “green dot” honors.
What we’re…
🔍 Observing: How did Day 2 of Eagles training camp shake out? Don’t worry, Jeff McLane has you covered.
🏀 Reading: If you’re following the LeBron James train to Philly, here’s the ultimate Sixers fan guide you’ll want to know.
📱Learning: About a La Salle rower who created an app that’s changing the way athletes train — and the future of rowing.
🤔 Wondering: What has Isabeau Levito been working on? Ellen Dunkel caught up with the South Jersey figure skater to find out.
Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (left) has been vocal about the need for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to make some moves to improve the roster.Monica Herndon and Yong Kim
Nine losses in 12 games over a span of 14 days have an effect on people, especially when the trade deadline is bearing down.
It caused Bryce Harper to channel John Lennon.
“I think we need some help,” Harper told reporters in Miami — and that was before the Phillies gagged a 6-0 lead into an 8-6 loss Wednesday, the worst gut punch at the worst time.
Harper isn’t wrong, but no matter what Dave Dombrowski does before 6 p.m. Monday, Harper’s plea for help must extend to his teammates, too. Because although he’s right about the need for reinforcements, it’s really the stars — three hitters, in particular — that must shine brighter.
Next: The Phillies open a series tonight in Baltimore at 7:05 p.m (NBCSP).
Steve Markle is a professional artistic pool player who has become famous on social media for his trick-shot videos.Aidan T. Gallo / Staff Photographer
Bucks County native Steve Markle first became interested in pool at 13 years old, when he and his friends started making trick shot videos and posting them on YouTube.
Now Markle, 34, is a professional artistic pool player who’s ranked No. 1 in the United States. His trick-shot videos on social media have amassed more than 175 million views. He’s recently helped organize the WPA World Artistic Pool & WPA World Freestyle Artistic Pool championships, the biggest professional pool trick shot event in the world, coming to the area in October.
He’s done all this while serving as a police officer for the Lower Makefield Township Police Department. Get to know Markle and his craft.
Reaching the NFL field for one even one game is a feat that requires years of dedication. Anton Klusener/ Staff Illustration; Getty Images; AP Images
We’re starting a new series — inspired by Pro Football Reference’s “Cups of Coffee” database — where The Inquirer has identified more than two-dozen living players who appeared in just one NFL game and played that game as an Eagle.
LeBron James is the latest player on a short list of stars to choose Philly.Yong Kim / Staff Photographer
LeBron James chose a franchise that hasn’t won an NBA title in 43 years, has only one title in almost 60 years, and hasn’t advanced past the second round of the playoffs in 25 years. James chose the underdog city — home of “insufferable winners” — just like Bryce Harper, Pete Rose, and Saquon Barkley did, writes Marcus Hayes.
What you’re saying about the Phillies
We asked: While there’s plenty of reason to hope regarding the Sixers and Eagles, is it time to panic about the Phillies? Among your responses:
Its past time to panic about the Phillies. Anyone who watches the team on a regular basis knew by the end of May that the bullpen was not major league caliber. With the exception of Duran the bullpen is pedestrian at best and its absolutely shocking when they get out of a jam without giving up a run or two or six. And please don’t torture us fans with having to watch Alvarado anymore. He’s almost as bad as Jordan Romano was last year. I think it’s pretty obvious Middleton tightened the purse strings this year when he let Ranger and Bader leave and the free agents they brought in were pretty much found on the clearance rack. Lifetime .220 batting averages tell you exactly what to expect but the Phillies sign them anyway looking for a rebound. The organization took a chance and the results are what we’re witnessing on a pretty much nightly basis. — Bob A.
Yeah I’m worried. When they get decent pitching, they can’t hit. When they get decent hitting they can’t pitch and field in general like AA. — Bill M.
Panic should have set in after game 6 on October 23, 2023 when we only scored 1 run. Major panic had to be after game 7 on Oct. 24, 2023. Scored a whopping 2 runs as they blew a chance to the World Series. Home field advantage. Bats went dead as they did in 2024 & 2025 post season. Why panic now? Same dead bats! Same guy who pays for the dead bats! They should have blown it up in 2024. All the Phillies have to do is look across the street. Make a change at the top and in less than 60 days on the job we can’t wait for the 76ers opening game. AND “Go Birds” Maybe Howie would be interested in a summer job to turn it around. — Ronald R.
It is indeed time to panic regarding the Phillies. Poor general management, poor farm system, poor judgement by those who manage the draft. Phillies passed on drafting Aaron Judge. Where are the Dominican players who are shown every morning as hitting the hardest and longest home runs etc? How did Murakami, the player the Phillies most needed, end up with the White Sox? Don’t expect the trade deadline to save us, we really have not much to trade with. Mattingly’s magic can only go so far, Phillies need hitters and pitchers asap. — Everett S.
Yes, it’s time to panic. Their starting pitching lacks depth, their offense is inconsistent, and their bullpen is a shambles. Could they get hot and win a series or two in the playoffs (assuming they make it)? Of course. Will they? Not likely. One telling stat. is run differential. In 2025, they were +132. So far this year: -15.— Doug R.
We compiled today’s newsletter using reporting from Marcus Hayes, Gina Mizell, Scott Lauber, Mia Messina, Jeff McLane, Olivia Reiner, Jeff Neiburg, Conor Smith, Ellen Dunkel, Ethan Kopleman, and Lauren Jones.
By submitting your written, visual, and/or audio contributions, you agree to The Inquirer’s Terms of Use, including the grant of rights in Section 10.
Thanks for closing out the week with me. Have a wonderful weekend. I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday. — Bella
No matter what moves the Phillies make before the trade deadline Monday, they will have to fix some of their issues internally. Chief among them: Trea Turner’s defense at shortstop. And that’s where infield coach Bobby Dickerson comes in. Dickerson sat down with Phillies Extra, The Inquirer’s baseball podcast, to discuss Turner’s struggles, the problems with analytics in measuring defense, his unique coaching style, and more. Watch here.
In April, Sen. David McCormick wrote a letter to the editor touting the SAVE America Act. I, along with others, responded to his rosy and misleading picture of the act’s purported benefits with the facts, including how difficult it would be for millions of Americans (not coincidentally mainly women and people of color who tend to vote Democratic) to comply with the guidelines in the SAVE Act as written. Now McCormick has written a letter, published by the so-called liberal Inquirer, again touting the “commonsense” voting restrictions contained therein. McCormick and other supporters of the SAVE Act, especially Donald Trump, don’t want people to realize that you already need to prove citizenship to vote. The recent acknowledgment by New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill that a software glitch allowed 6,600 noncitizens to register to vote is fuel for supporters of this wrong-headed proposal, but the glitch would have happened regardless of the restrictions that are written into the SAVE Act. Sen. McCormick should spend more time urging his fearless leader to end the war in Iran and less time pushing for an undemocratic — and frankly un-American — law that is nothing but a voter suppression tactic.
There are more than 6 million registered voters in New Jersey, so the 6,600 who shouldn’t have been able to register represents an error-rate of 0.098%. That’s pretty amazing. I challenge Sen. Dave McCormick to provide any program at the national level that has an error rate that low. We have a system that is not perfect, but 6,600 voters out of 6 million cannot be called a crisis. He is my representative; so I’m asking him to stop with the attempt to challenge the integrity of our election system. Your leader, not mine, has made those claims for years. I’m asking Sen. McCormick for proof that the election was stolen; not allegations, proof. I have yet to see any, so, if you have it, either produce it or stop this nonsense. Credibility is all you truly own in this world; his is quickly fading. I have to have faith in my elected officials, who need to concentrate on real problems, not suggest solutions in search of a problem. Yes, 6,600 false registrations is bad; but let’s not make a mountain out of a molehill. I await his reply.
John R. Waters, Havertown
Join the conversation: Send letters to letters@inquirer.com. Limit length to 150 words and include home address and day and evening phone number. Letters run in The Inquirer six days a week on the editorial pages and online.
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married 31 years. We have a great marriage. We work from home, so we spend pretty much every minute together and enjoy each other’s company so much that it isn’t an issue. That said, I will also share that I’m a basement musician. It’s my hobby. I play guitar and sing. In the past, I have appeared in bands as well as solo formats. I’m also a pretty good songwriter. I have written a number of songs, including several about my wife and the love we share.
My challenge is that my wife isn’t very musical. She can go days at a time without listening to any music at all. In the big scheme of things, this might not sound like a huge deal. I am cool with it. But in all our 31 years together, she has never asked me to play anything for her — none of the songs I have written for her or covers of famous songs.
I have pointed this fact out to her more than once, hoping to drop a hint that, even if she doesn’t appreciate music, asking me to sing one of those songs for her would make me feel like she appreciated the effort and thought. When friends and family ask me to play them, she always says she likes them, but the requests never come from her. Am I asking too much to expect it, or should I just let it go and stop writing them?
— STILL WAITING IN VIRGINIA
DEAR STILL WAITING: Face it — the woman you married 31 years ago has never been a music lover, regardless of who the composer is. However, writing songs about your feelings is a form of free expression, and I don’t think you should quit doing it if it’s satisfying for you. ‘
** ** **
DEAR ABBY: I am a single, retired female. I have a personal side business that keeps me quite busy, and I’m blessed to have many friends. I am also active in community and church events. My issue is that a lot of my friends who are inactive and retired invite me to dinners, the theater and parties, sometimes at the very last minute. Then they become annoyed when I decline. They also endlessly keep me tied up on the phone or on text messages with utter nonsense.
I am a people-pleaser and feel bad when I must decline an invitation. I have proper manners and know etiquette, but this has become frustrating and annoying. I have endlessly responded with, “I would love to go, but I need advance notice,” to no avail. What to do?
— PERPLEXED IN PENNSYLVANIA
DEAR PERPLEXED: Because you are a people-pleaser and want to offend no one, continue responding as you already do, “I’d love to go, but I need more advance notice than you have given me.” While you’re at it, it isn’t rude to be too busy to chat if someone calls at an inopportune time. (You can always screen your calls if they are oppressive, and take your time responding to their texts.)
ARIES (March 21-April 19). You’re testing your own limits, not trying to impress people. Your ambition is internally motivated rather than externally validated. When you do get attention for what you’re doing, the recognition will be a byproduct, not the goal.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20). Before you buy it, ask yourself what you’ll have to do after you own it. Store it? Clean it? Fix it? Insure it? The real cost of anything includes the time it asks from you. Money can be earned again. Time can’t.
GEMINI (May 21-June 21). The person who understands the assignment will have a great impact, and you want that to be you. The leader has an assignment, too: knowing where the group needs to go and what each individual is headed as well.
CANCER (June 22-July 22). A season of rapid change is upon you. Times like these can feel like you’re reacting instead of choosing your life. Pause often and ask yourself: “Is this taking me where I want to go?” That answer is your compass.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). The opportunity is right for you. Even though you know how much work is involved, how much money it will take and the other risks you’ll be taking, it still feels exciting — maybe to the level that you’re tempted to say it’s “a calling.”
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You don’t always recognize what’s meant for you the moment you encounter it. Sometimes the right path becomes recognizable only after you’ve walked it for a while. Looking back, the path seems obvious. Living it rarely does.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). With tedious tasks it helps to ask: What would make this more fun? Music? The company of a friend? More frequent rewards? Adding some whimsy to your workflow makes it easier to stay engaged long enough to see progress.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). Working with people who have a different style from yours doesn’t have to be stressful, but it will require patience. In the end, what you make will be better, not in spite of the variety of approaches, but because of it.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). Of course you’re wondering what people think of your work and whether they will notice it at all. The better question is: Who cares? Just give it everything you’ve got. That approach will teach you more than external validation ever could.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Life works out. Love happens. Friendships grow stronger. These good things and more will unfold, though not on your schedule — on their own. Trust the timing of the universe as it balances a bigger picture than any individual can imagine.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). You’re trying to solve a problem with addition that is better solved by subtraction. Take one thing away instead of adding another. Too many details get chaotic. Simplicity helps you see each element and understand how it fits with the others.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). There are times when hiding your enthusiasm is appropriate — the poker game, the closing of a sale, asking for the date — it helps to be cool. Avoid the opposite, though. If your internally unenthused, just leave.
TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (June 31). Welcome to your Year of the Bell when your voice carries further, communicates more and changes people’s moods and actions. Your uplifting power is remarkable. You will be often the center of celebration, big and small. More highlights: Money finally flows in from something you started long ago. A special introduction changes your social circle. You learn a skill you’ve admired from afar. Taurus and Virgo adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 16, 8, 22, 12 and 10.
The Cheltenham School District’s “level of incompetence didn’t just fail one child — it put every young man on the football team at risk,” the Montgomery County grand jury that recommended the charges against four coaches and six players said in a report released Wednesday.
The August and September 2025 assaults threw the football program into turmoil, with the district canceling last year’s season in October and announcing this spring that the forthcoming fall season would also be scrapped. While district officials shared little about what happened in the locker room, videos were widely circulated within the school community depicting one of the attacks, the grand jury found.
Yet the district did not punish any players; a Title IX investigation that could result in discipline is still underway. The two players charged as adults, Isaiah Simpson and Josiah Peeler, both graduated from Cheltenham High School this year, district officials said. While the district parted ways with all of its football coaches, at least one charged this week had been hired by another local school: Neumann Goretti tapped Benjamin Johnson as head football coach in January, but on Wednesday the school announced he no longer had the job.
When the mother of the 15-year-old who was attacked reported to the high school administration that her son had been jumped by hisPanther football teammates in the locker room last September, injuring his genitals, an employee who texted two other employees about the allegation said the student had “a chip on his shoulder” from not making the varsity team, the grand jury report said.
District employees took the team’s then-head coach, Terence Tolbert, at his word and included him in “every step” of their investigation, according to the report. Tolbert, whose lawyer did not return a request for comment Thursday, was charged Wednesday with endangering the welfare of a child and conspiracy.
The football practice field and stadium at Cheltenham High School in Wyncote, Montgomery County, Wednesday, July 29, 2026.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Employees were also confused about their requirements to report child abuse allegations to law enforcement, the report said.
Cheltenham Superintendent Brian Scriven said in a statement Wednesday that “every report brought to the district’s attention was addressed based on the information available at the time.” He also noted that “individuals did not cooperate with the investigative process.”
On Thursday, Scriven addressed some additional questions about the district’s response. “At no point in time was Coach Tolbert involved in planning or executing any investigation,” he said in a written response to questions.
He also said the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office had directed the district to pause its Title IX investigation into the allegations while it was investigating.
Now that charges are filed, the Title IX investigation “has resumed and will be concluded promptly,” Scriven said, withpossible “school-based” discipline.
‘Backed her off coming to the building’
In addition to issuing findings supporting criminal charges, the grand jury released a separate report focused on the school district that included recommendations for new legal requirements for schools to report hazing allegations to law enforcement.
The report described the actions of three employees at the high school, identified only as Employee #1, Employee #2, and Employee #3.
The mother of the student who was attacked told The Inquirer earlier this month that she had texted Mark Hoff, then the assistant vice principal at the high school, on Sept. 7 after learning that her son had been jumped in the locker room. Hoff was named vice principal at Wyncote Elementary School in the district on July 20. Hoff could not be reached for comment Thursday.
The high school’s principal, Benjamin Hammond, referred a reporter to the district’s spokesperson Thursday.
The person identified as Employee #1 in the grand jury report, who texted two other employees about the student having a “chip on his shoulder,” also suggested in the text exchange that the administration was trying to keep the mother from the school.
“I THINK I backed her off coming to the building in the AM,” Employee #1 texted, according to the report.
Employee #2 called Tolbert that same day, and texted the other two employees that the coach denied that anyone told the student not to tell his mom.
“At this point in the conversation, all three employees vouched for Tolbert’s credibility,” the report said.
Employee #2 began his investigation by interviewing Tolbert, who said he did not know anything, according to the report.
He also spoke to other coaches and took them at their word because he “thought that they would be forthcoming, mature adults and do the right thing and not lie to him,” the report said.
Scriven did not address a question Thursday about employees’ response to the mother. But he said they appropriately went to Tolbert to ask “what he knew of the situation.”
“At the time, there was no reason to believe Coach Tolbert was being untruthful,” he said.
Tolbert had previously served as head coach of the varsity team at Abington Senior High School for the 2023-2024 season. An Abington spokesperson said on Thursday that the district had opted not to renew his appointment after one year.
Insufficient supervision
The grand jury also found fault with Cheltenham’s supervision of the football program.
While there was an office for coaches in the football locker room, “they rarely used it,” the report said. (Tolbert had become the head coach in June 2025; coaches had used the office the season before, according to the grand jury.)
Employee #2 testified to the grand jury that he did not do anything to ensure that football players were supervised, the report said.
The grand jury also found that “at least” five paid Cheltenhamfootball coaches were not up to date on Act 126 clearances. The Pennsylvania law requires schools to provide employees who have direct contact with children with at least three hours of child abuse recognition and reporting training, every five years.
In releasing findings from its investigation in January, the district acknowledged “insufficient student supervision in the locker room by the coaching staff” and “a failure to prioritize student safety by the coaching staff” and volunteers.
Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele announces at press conference Wednesday, July 29, 2026 multiple charges in connection with two assaults in Cheltenham Township High School locker room that injured a 15-year-old player and led to the cancellation of the 2026-2027 football season.Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Circulating video footage
There were two videos taken of the Aug. 15 assault, prosecutors said. The grand jury findings characterized the footage — which it said depicted a student moving a broomstick toward the bottom of the student’s shorts while at least one player chanted “broomstick him” — as circulating widely within the school community.
One witness told the grand jury there was a TikTok video “going around where two boys were making fun of the juvenile victim with a Meek Mill video playing in the background.”
The victim testified that he believed many people had seen a video, because “random people” approached him about it in the cafeteria and hallway. Another student, who was not on the football team, told the grand jury she had been shown a video at school of the victim being kicked by multiple people.
While the district had been aware only of an incident on Sept. 3, questioning of one of the players by the grand jury in January led to the discovery that the video footage depicted an Aug. 15 assault.
Players told the grand jury that an administrator, identified only as “Administrator #2″ in the grand jury findings, met with the team after the Sept. 3 incident.
One player reported that “days” later, the administrator “addressed the team about ‘stuff’ and warned the players if there’s ‘another one,’ the season would be canceled,” according to the grand jury findings.
Another told the grand jury that the administrator met with the team while coaches were present, and told players not to fight with one another and that there would be consequences “if anything else occurred.”
That player said neither the coaches nor the administrator “encouraged anyone with information about the incident to come forward,” according to the grand jury findings.
‘Consistent confusion’ about reporting requirements
Prosecutors said the district contacted Cheltenham police after an anonymous Sept. 18 tip through the state’s Safe2Say hotline. The mother previously told The Inquirer that the tip was how she learned a broomstick was involved.
The grand jury report said district employees were unclear on their requirements as mandatory reporters.
“There was consistent confusion about what type of assault allegation would prompt an immediate report to ChildLine and the police,” the report said. It said the unidentified Employee #3 displayed “especially concerning judgment” by concluding that coaches never told the student not to tell his parents “simply because a coach said it never happened.”
Mandatory reporting laws currently do not require that allegations of hazing, committed by a child on another child, be reported as suspected child abuse — unless sexual assault is alleged, the grand jury report said.
Acts of hazing that “fall short of a completed sexual assault, touching or exposure, such as the threatened sexual assault in this case,” do not meet the mandatory reporting threshold, the report said.
It recommended that hazing be incorporated into mandatory reporting requirements. If it had been, the report said, “the Cheltenham High School administration would not have had the opportunity to mishandle the juvenile victim’s disclosure and the ensuing investigation as poorly as they did.”
In his statement Wednesday, Scriven said the district would welcome additions to the mandatory reporting laws. But he said hazing would not necessarily be immediately identifiable to school staff, noting that the law defines the offense as “for the purpose of initiating, admitting or affiliating a minor or student into or with an organization.”
Scriven did not address questions Thursday about employees’ understanding of reporting requirements.
Asked why the district did not contact police after the mother’s Sept. 7 report of an assault, Scriven said Thursday that it was “not reported as a sexual assault.”
“A ChildLine report was properly made when the district learned that a reportable offense may have been committed,” Scriven said.
In testimony, the player who was attacked described being stomped in the head and groin with cleats during the September assault, and being “tucked up” on the floor as teammates tried to poke him in his butt with a broomstick, according to the grand jury findings.
“He said that he feared for his life and did not want to go back to school or play football for the team anymore,” the findings said.
Staff writers Jess Rohan and Vinny Vella contributed to this article.
Khlood Hammad was at the drive-thru lane of a Northeast Philadelphia Dunkin’ on the evening of Jan. 31, 2025, when a private medical transportation jet nose-dived into the ground a block away.
The sheer force of the blast and the gruesome scene still haunts Hammad, she said in a lawsuit filed this month against the jet’s operator.
Hammad suffers from dizziness and imbalance because of injuries to her head and ears, the suit says, and she developed post-traumatic stress disorder that has been impacting her ability to work.
“It’s just miraculous that anyone that close survived,” said Joseph Russomanno, Hammad’s attorney.
The lawsuit is the latest against Med Jets, the Mexican air carrier that operates specialized airplanes for medical transport, and the second this month by a witness of the crash that killed eight people, injured dozens, and impacted hundreds of homes.
The new suits, filed in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas, expand the circle of crash victims pursuing claims against Med Jets, vying for a chunk of the company’s $10 million insurance policy.
Med Jets — which operates under the name Jet Rescue Air Ambulance — is already facing two wrongful death lawsuits brought by families of Mexican nationals who were killed and a lawsuit brought by a man who was severely burned near the crash site.
“There’s a lot of people in line for the $10 million,” said attorney Michael Hanamirian, who represents another witness who is suing the company. “It sounds like a lot of money, but in this case it’s not a lot of money.”
Hanamirian sued Med Jets this month on behalf of Yunelly Cervera, who saw the crash from her home and had plane debris land on her property.
Cervera has been experiencing troubling dreams and panic attacks, among other symptoms of post traumatic stress, the suit said.
The crash took place shortly after 6 p.m. on a Friday. The Med Jets-owned Learjet 55 plummeted 1,650 feet at more than 235 miles per hour within a minute of taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport.
All six people aboard the jet died, including 11-year-old Valentina Guzman Murillo, who was heading home after having spent four months undergoing treatment for a spinal condition at Shriners Children’s Philadelphia.
Map of where a small jet crashed near Roosevelt Boulevard and Cottman Avenue in Northeast Philadelphia on Jan. 31.John Duchneskie
Med Jets did not respond to a request for comment.
The company’s insurance provider, El Águila Compania de Seguros, filed a lawsuit in Philadelphia’s federal court last summer saying claims would far exceed the remaining liability limits” the company’s $10 million insurance policy.
It is unknown how many more people have viable claims similar to Cervera and Hammad, attorneys said.
Once the insurance funds are exhausted, those who weren’t compensated — at all or sufficiently — could attempt to obtain a judgment directly against the company, Hanamirian said.
But the value of Med Jets’ assets remains an open question, the attorney said,and enforcing any award issued in a U.S. court on a company across the border can be tricky.
“The judgment has to be significant enough to enforce because of all the time and steps involved,” Hanamirian said.
The Eagles held the second practice of their 2026 training camp on Thursday at the Jefferson Health Training Complex. These were my observations from Day 2 (and this reminder of Day 1):
Kicking and redeeming
I’m going to start with how practice started: Jake Elliott kicking field goals. It might not be as sexy as the new offense or how the rookies look, but the Eagles need Elliott to return to form this season. He’s coming off back-to-back down years, and yet the team didn’t add competition in camp. Kickers are essentially competing with whoever is on the street. But special teams coordinator Michael Clay’s comment about Elliott during the spring — that his job was to help the 10-year veteran “fall in love with the game again” — made me wonder if Elliott could have benefited from additional pressure.
Eagles punter Braden Mann (left) talks with kicker Jake Elliott during the second day of training camp at the Jefferson Health Training Complex on Thursday.Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
His camp got off to a solid start in windy conditions. He made 6 of 7 kicks, hitting from around 33, 35, 37, 43, 43 and 46 yards. He hooked a 40-yard try wide left. Elliott has a natural tendency to draw the ball, and the wind was blowing in that direction, so it was a tough kick from the right hash mark. Nevertheless, he has more riding on this summer’s performance than he has in years.
Running it up
The Eagles’ best (offensive) seasons during the Nick Sirianni–Jalen Hurts era have come with a dominant run game. Last season’s regression on the ground can be attributed to many factors, but the switch to the Kyle Shanahan-Sean McVay scheme could be just the medicine needed for a unit that has many of the same returning parts. There were positive signs on Day 2 with running backs Saquon Barkley and Tank Bigsby bolting into space on outside zone runs.
There was one stretch when Barkley jetted through a gaping hole off the left only to be followed by Bigsby a play later turning the corner on the right. There was success up the middle, too. Bigsby benefited from wide receiver Makai Lemon’s misdirection motion and had a seam through the front seven into the secondary.
The defense is still limited in terms of contact without pads. So I don’t want to get ahead of myself. But clearly the offensive line is already taking to the increased usage of wide zone blocking. How Hurts fits into the equation remains to be seen, but I can’t see the Eagles completely abandoning him as a plus-one factor in the run game.
Some of the new looks should benefit quarterback Jalen Hurts and the offensive line. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Marrying kind
That being said, there’s likely going to be less of Hurts on the ground on designed runs because of the marrying of the run with the pass off under-center plays. A perfect example of its effectiveness came off a play-action fake to the left as Hurts rolled naked to the right and hit a wide-open DeVonta Smith on a short crosser. These aren’t just layups for the quarterback, but also for the offensive linemen, who don’t have to necessarily block at the point of attack.
There were still struggles in the pass game. Hurts completed just two passes on his first six dropbacks. He tucked the ball and scrambled on two pass plays and once threw the ball away — not necessarily “bad” decisions — but there was a toss to receiver Darius Cooper that linebacker Zack Baun deflected from underneath and a wounded duck to a double covered-Smith that fell short.
Passing through
Hurts and Smith had more chemistry during 7-on-7s. In fact, it looked like child’s play, even with the receiver up against Quinyon Mitchell. Smith flashed late hands near the sideline on a pass thrown just out of the All pro cornerback’s reach. Lemon has often lined up in the slot, but he motioned outside during one repetition, and caught a pass underneath corner Riq Woolen during 7-on-7s. Woolen nearly had an interception a play later, but Hurts’ forced throw sailed through his hands.
The pass offense had some nice moments late in the workout. Hurts sidestepped a rusher and hit receiver Dontayvion Wicks at the second level in team drills. And Wicks ended the main portion of practice by high-pointing a jump ball his quarterback threw up for grabs.
Mac McWilliams (22) and Riq Woolen (2) are part of a deep cornerback group. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Cornering the market
The Eagles’ starters at cornerback are set, but they also have depth and could be open to moving players like Kelee Ringo or Jakorian Bennett if some youngsters develop and trade partners open up. Here’s how I see the depth chart at the position (knowing several players are cross training at outside/slot cornerback and safety):
Safety plan
Vic Fangio confirmed that the safety job opposite Andrew Mukuba very much remains a competition, although it will likely be a by-committee approach with Cooper DeJean at the spot in base personnel and maybe more than one guy filling the role in nickel.
Marcus Epps and Michael Carter II have taken turns working alongside a combination of DeJean and Mukuba. Sometimes it’s just been the two of them at safety with the first unit. I think the best I can say about each of them is that neither has made a glaring mistake or busted a coverage.
Fangio said both starting safeties — whoever they are — will take over the departed Reed Blankenship’s responsibility as the main communicator on the back end. Baun will once again wear the “green dot” on his helmet and call plays for the entire defense.
Jonathan Greenard’s absence puts Nolan Smith Jr. and others under increased scrutiny. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Greenard days
Fangio wasn’t as sanguine about the injured Jonathan Greenard as general manager Howie Roseman was the day prior. The Eagles don’t expect the outside linebacker, who recently strained a pectoral muscle, to be out long term. But what exactly does that mean? They wouldn’t have placed him on PUP if there wasn’t at least a chance he’d miss part of the regular season.
No Greenard by Week 1 would likely mean the Eagles are back to where they were a year ago when it was clear they lacked a top-end edge: with Nolan Smith Jr. and Jalyx Hunt starting. Both have shown obvious promise, and there are options off the bench. But Fangio threw some cold water on the notion that all is well with Greenard.
A few of the reserve edges stood out on Thursday. Arnold Ebiketie shed a block and stopped Barkley at the line on a run play. A.J. Epenesa was Johnny-on-the-spot after a Cole Payton pass deflected off receiver Danny Gray’s hands to him.
Payton had a rough day. While the Epenesa pick was hardly his fault, he tossed two other interceptions. Linebacker Chance Campbell undercut a seam route by tight end Dae’Quan Wright for one, while rookie linebacker Keyshawn James-Newby had the other on a poorly thrown pass during the developmental period.
Carson Steele has gotten his share of handoffs, but not as a fullback. It’s unclear how much coordinator Sean Mannion will feature the position in his offense. Tight end Cameron Latu handled the job at times last season, but veteran tight end Johnny Mundt could fill the role. He’s been the primary second blocking tight end in “12″ personnel so far.
Tanner McKee (16) has some competition for the No. 2 job from Andy Dalton. Monica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Quarterback view
Payton’s potential could factor into whether the Eagles feel comfortable enough to trade Andy Dalton. I can’t see Tanner McKee being on the market, although the two quarterbacks continued to split snaps with the second unit.
Dalton hooked up with receiver Quez Watkins and rookie tight end Eli Stowers on short passes in team drills. Latu couldn’t hang onto a heave into traffic later in the set. McKee found receiver Britain Covey alone off play-action and later in the soft spot of a zone during 7-on-7s.
The Eagles had their first injury of camp when second-year tackle Cameron Williams went down during team drills. He waved off a cart, then walked off the field with trainers. Williams never returned after a visit to the medical tent. … Fangio said rookie defensive tackle Uar Bernard, who never played organized football, was on the “PP plan — lots of patience, lots of persistence.” You don’t have to be an expert to see the native of Nigeria is extremely raw. … Eagles legend Brian Dawkins was in attendance and watched practice. … Friday’s walk-through is closed to reporters. We’ll be back at the Jeff for Saturday’s session.
Public health officials are advising South Jersey residents to be alert and avoid wild animals after a report of a rabid raccoon that bit a man in Gloucester County last weekend.
The Glassboro resident told 6abc Wednesday that the wild animal charged him outside of his home and bit the front of his leg before being captured and testing positive for rabies.
Gloucester County posted an alert on social media Wednesday reminding residents to make sure their pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations and to avoid contact with wildlife. County officials did not respond to questions about the alleged attack Thursday.
“Rabies is a serious disease, but it is preventable,” the county wrote. “If you see a wild animal acting unusual; such as appearing aggressive, unafraid of people, drooling, or unsteady; keep your distance and report it to your local health department or animal control.”
Anyone bitten or scratched by a wild animal should wash the area with soap and water, seek medical attention, and contact local animal control or health officials, the county advised.
6abc reported that authorities said the infected animal involved in the attack was seen fighting with another raccoon before it was captured, and that the county is now working to locate the potentially rabid animal.
