The Enterprise High School football team won 16-13 after a heartbreaking tribute to the eight students killed by a tornado that destroyed the high school last spring. The Enterprise Alabama high school football Wildcats were led onto the field by Ethan Rush carrying the school flag.
You see, it used to be his best friend A.J. Jackson’s job to lead the Enterprise high school team onto the field. They’d been best friends since before they started grade school. Along with Ryan Mohler, who joined them in the second grade, the trio embodied school spirit for the Enterprise Hornets.
You see, both A.J. and Ryan were cheerleaders on the varsity squad. Friday night’s football game against Carroll High School was the first without them and the emotional tribute brought tears to the eyes of everyone in the stands.
Despite the rain, thunder and lightning, Ethan led the Enterprise High School Wildcats onto the field at Bates Memorial Stadium on Friday night for the school’s first football game of the year and since a tornado changed so many lives.
Both A.J. and Ryan were cheerleaders on the varsity squad. Friday night’s football game against Carroll High School was the first without them. Ethan and A.J. grew up together. Ryan joined the trio in second grade. It was A.J. who talked the other two into joining the squad last year.
On March 1, a tornado ravaged the city of Enterprise, destroyed two schools and claimed the lives of eight high school students — A.J. Jackson, 16; Ryan Mohler, 17; Michael Tompkins, 17; Michael Bowen, 16; Katie Strunk, 16; Jamie Vidensek, 17; Michelle Williams, 16; and Peter Dunn, 16.
Funeral services for A.J. Jackson and Ryan Mohler were held together at Hillcrest Baptist Church just yards from where the two were among eight students killed in last Spring’s tornado.
Losing that many young people in a small town was a devastating experience. The horrific event packed an emotional wallop that left students reeling for months.
Enterprise High School Tornado Tribute Video
EHS Memorial Video
There were reminders all over the packed home side of the stadium. T-shirts with names of the victims, some with just the date of the tornado on the back. The Big Blue marching band took to the field without two of their members. A Huey helicopter from Fort Rucker flew above the stadium. Similar helicopters came to the city’s aid on March 1. The entire Wildcat football team took the field for the coin toss.
The squad members wear buttons with A.J.’s and Ryan’s photo and a message — “Moving forward, but never forget“.
Cheerleader coach and algebra teacher Heather Mitchell taught both A.J. and Ryan. Named the varsity coach just two days before the tornado, Mitchell does what she can to keep things as normal as possible for the students on the squad and those at the school.
“I think they worry groups behind them will forget and won’t honor it as much,” Mitchell said.
The Enterprise high School cheerleaders look forward to football season every year, squad captain Lindsey Smith said. But there was a time when even getting an award to replace uniforms and to cover camp expenses didn’t excite the 17-year-old senior.
“I was just rock bottom,” Lindsey said. “I didn’t care about cheering anymore. I just missed our boys.”
But spirits have been renewed, and Lindsey said Ryan and A.J. would want their friends to be happy.
“We know they’re here anyway,” she said.
It’s time to pass the Kleenex around and be proud of the kids at Enterprise High School for their heartfelt tribute to their lost, but not forgotten, friends.
Tags: enterprise high school
July 20th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
Anybody know if I wanted to bookmark your blog do I have to set-up an account for NewsVine?
March 5th, 2010 at 12:42 pm
need school district you located in