EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The Franklin High School football team paid homage to the late Emmanuel Lopez during its 51-17 win over Americas at the SISD SAC I on Thursday night.
Lopez — a senior at Franklin High School and member of the football team — was killed in a crash in Arizona on Saturday evening, Sept. 14.
Thursday’s game was the first game Franklin played since Lopez’s death.
Prior to Thursday’s game, there was a moment of silence for Lopez. Franklin’s game captains took Lopez’s No. 22 jersey to midfield for the coin toss. In-game, Franklin continued to pay tribute to Lopez as players would throw up double twos with their hands after scoring a touchdown.
“All week we’re thinking about him. I like playing for him that’s why [on my] back plate it says, ‘Do it for 22’,” Franklin football player Kyler McDavitt said postgame. “That was our motto the entire week and it’s going to be our motto the rest of the season.”
Franklin will play with heavy hearts the rest of the season. Up next for the Cougars, a district game against rival Coronado at the Sun Bowl on Thursday.
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