Highland Park football players are honoring the victims of July’s catastrophic flooding each time they take the field.
Since the first scrimmage of the season, the players have worn decals on their helmets adorned with the initials of each Park Cities girl who was lost in the disaster.
“LB” and “EP” are written in blue alongside a heart near the top of each gold decal to honor Bradfield Elementary students and best friends Lila Bonner and Eloise Peck. The center includes the initials of University Park Elementary students Hadley Hanna, Hanna Lawrence, and Rebecca Lawrence. “JH” for Janie Hunt, who would have started third grade at Hyer Elementary this year, is near the bottom of the decals.
The idea for the helmet decals came from the players, who were looking for a way to remember flood victims.
“We just wanted to pay our respects to them, because we know how much they mean to us, and we mean to them,” explained Beau Jones, who captains the varsity football team along with Stuart Allday, Cannon Bozman, and Thomas Cook.
Head coach Randy Allen approved the idea after seeking input from the families and friends of those impacted by the tragedy.
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He put the decals to a vote of the player committee, and the decision to wear them was unanimous, Bozman explained.
“Everyone wanted to honor the families as much as we could,” he said, “and do anything we can to help them out.”
Parents helped Healy Awards design possible decals, and the captains selected the one that they thought was the most heartfelt, Jones said.
Players on each of the high school’s football teams, from freshman to varsity, are wearing the decals on their helmets to show that their season is about more than just football, and to pay tribute to those impacted by the disaster.
“We’re thinking about them. We’re praying for them,” Bozman said. “And we’re playing for them out on the field.”
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