Del-Val Charter wins 'Peace Bowl'

Del-Val Charter's Abdush-Shakur Simmons didn't make a tackle, didn't carry the football and didn't score a touchdown Thursday night against Strawberry Mansion.

But the 45-0 Public League AA victory at the Ben Johnson Super Site was particularly memorable in other ways for the Del-Val senior.

"It's special for me because I'm trying to get my family out of North Philadelphia," the 5-foot-9, 234-pound fullback and defensive end said. "So, I play for my family, and I also play for one special person, and that's Aisha."

Aisha Abdur Rahman, a Del-Val student, was shot and killed on Sept. 22, 2014, after school as she walked with a friend outside Albert Einstein Medical Center, a block-and-a-half away from where police said 20 to 30 young people were fighting.

The game Thursday was dubbed the "Peace for Aisha Bowl" by the Warriors' football program.

At halftime, purple balloons - her favorite color - were released into the drizzly night sky at midfield after Simmons delivered a few words.

"We were really good friends," he said postgame. "We hung out, took pictures together and we always talked. Whenever she needed me, I had her [back]. We were really good friends. It hurt me when I found out she got killed because I wasn't in school that day."

Simmons, a National Honor Society student, explained that the two had exchanged texts that morning.

However, he didn't attend school because of a doctor's appointment.

"She told me good morning and asked if I was going to school," said Simmons, a 4.0 student who hopes to study sports medicine at Delaware. "And that was the last time I talked to her."

Simmons, who lives near 21st and Somerset, nearly lost his older sister, Bria, years ago to gun violence. She survived a gunshot wound to the chest as a student at Philadelphia Electrical and Technology Charter.

Simmons may no longer have Abdur Rahman's final text messages, but he still has access to memories of her.

"I don't have them anymore because I lost that phone," he said softly. "It's not hard for me though, because I'm always going to remember the good times that we had even if I don't have those messages. I think about her all the time."

Del-Val improved to 2-3 overall and 2-0 in the league. Strawberry Mansion fell to 0-2, 0-5.

Shaheed Brown was magnificent for Del-Val Charter. The senior wide receiver scored a rushing and a receiving touchdown and added a punt return for another score.

Del-Val Charter 25 14 6 0 - 45

Strawberry Mansion 0 0 0 0 - 0

DV: Shaheed Brown 1 run (kick failed)

DV: Brown 80 punt return (kick failed)

DV: Brown 15 pass from Shayne Smith (kick failed)

DV: Imere Lubin 35 pass from Smith (Lubin kick)

DV: Kyeef Williams 15 run (Lubin kick)

DV: Jahmir Nuble 6 run (Lubin kick)

DV: Morris Peterson 16 run (kick failed)

cartera@phillynews.com