Indian Hill hosts 9/11 ceremony before Wyoming football rivalry

Indian Hill and Wyoming will mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks with a pregame ceremony on Friday, Sept. 11. The CHL rivals will share Tomahawk Stadium for a remembrance night before their 7 p.m. kickoff.

The event, branded "United As One — 25 Years, We Remember," begins at 6:20 p.m.

"Friday night football brings our communities together, and this particular night gives us an opportunity to make that gathering about something much larger than a game," Brian Phelps, Indian Hill's director of alumni and community advancement, said in an announcement published by Living Magazines. Phelps said the schools want to honor the lives lost, recognize those who responded and show gratitude to first responders and military members who continue to serve.

The ceremony will include a bagpipe procession into the stadium, recognition of local police, Rangers, fire and EMS personnel, FBI representatives, active-duty military members and veterans, a ceremonial coin flip, a moment of silence, Taps, "America the Beautiful" and the National Anthem. Student musicians from both schools will perform together. The Braves Marching Band, seventh- and eighth-grade Concert Band and Premieres Choir will take part during Indian Hill Band Night.

Organizers are extending a special invitation to anyone with a personal connection to the attacks, including people who were at Ground Zero or the Pentagon, served in the military or worked as first responders.

Superintendent Melissa Stewart said the evening gives a generation of students born after 2001 a chance to understand the day's significance. She said the sight of two rival schools standing side by side with first responders, veterans, military members, students and families shows "what unites us is far greater than what separates us."

The evening doubles as Youth Football and Youth Cheer Night. Special "United As One" anniversary shirts will be sold for $20, with all proceeds going to local first-responder agencies.

On the field

The ceremony sets the stage for a CHL rivalry with recent history. Indian Hill defeated Wyoming 28-7 on Sept. 12, 2025, snapping Wyoming's 14-game regular-season winning streak. Braves quarterback Devlan Daniel threw two touchdown passes and rushed for another score in that game, and head coach John Rodenberg picked up his 220th career win.

After that September 2025 victory, Daniel described the intensity of the matchup. "… Once you get into this game it's a little different," he told WCPO. "You can tell because it's two great football teams."

Through two weeks this season, Wyoming is 2-0 after beating Purcell Marian 48-8 on Aug. 28. Indian Hill is 1-1, having opened with a 35-14 win over Roger Bacon on Aug. 21 before falling to Beechwood 42-0 on Aug. 28, according to CHL standings. Both teams play Week 3 games on Friday, Sept. 4, before the Sept. 11 showdown.