KERRVILLE, Texas – In an emotional home opener Friday night, Tivy High School’s football team and the Kerrville community came together to honor the 117 lives lost in July’s devastating flood. A traditional Friday night football game turned into a powerful tribute to both victims and first responders.
KPRC 2’s Gage Goulding was at the stadium watching it all unfold.
Before the Tivy Antlers and visiting Del Rio Rams even played a down, they had a full pre-game ceremony, including a military flyover.
First responders, who were among the first to save lives in the hours after the Fourth of July flood, were in the Blackhawk helicopters and Texas Department of Public Safety choppers that flew low over Antler Stadium.
Newly appointed Tivy head coach Curtis Neill, who joined from Houston with experience at Cypress Woods, Cypress Ranch, and Klein Cain, described the game as a vital step toward normalcy.
“This place is a special place. People don’t realize how special Kerrville, Texas is,” Neill said.
The pre-game ceremony featured two Tivy High School students performing “Hallelujah” before the flyover, while first responders were named honorary captains for the coin toss.
The tribute held special significance for the team and spectators alike, as the flood’s impact touched nearly everyone in attendance.
Even the team’s senior quarterback, Collin Rose, had personal connections to the tragedy.
“There was a lot of people that I knew that sadly lost their lives,” Rose said. “My coach, I knew people out at Camp Mystic and just other people throughout the community.”
The significance of the evening extended beyond the game itself.
“Friday Night Lights football is an opportunity to gather people for people to root on their communities, support their communities fight for their communities,” Neill explained.
Kerr County Sheriff Larry Leitha, present for the tribute to first responders, summed up the evening’s sentiment: “They’re honoring first responders, so it just doesn’t get better than that.”
The Tivy Antlers channeled the emotional energy of the evening into their performance, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive.
The Antlers would go on to take down the Rams, 41-20.