A Denton Guyer senior who was killed last weekend was remembered during Thursday night's football game.
Nathan Maki, 18, was fatally shot Saturday night while on a camping trip in Montague County.
Maki's family and his memory were honored at C.H. Collins Athletic complex during Denton Guyer's game against Colleyvile Heritage.
Players presented Maki’s tearful family with his No. 33 jersey. When Tyler Smith scored the first touchdown of the game, he immediately ran the game ball to Maki’s family.
"It's going to be a long recovery process, but all tough things are," a senior player and friend of Maki's said before the game.
"It's been a heartbreaker," senior player Logal Helal said. "It's hard to lose your brother. As big of a model as Nate was to this team, it's hard, really, really hard."
Friends and players described Maki as outgoing, upbeat and funny.
"I don't think I've ever seen him angry or upset," Smith said. "He was always smiling."
Maki was laid to rest Thursday morning in a private ceremony.
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Montage County Sheriff Paul Cunningham identified Michael Bryce Underwood, 17, as the person who was holding the gun when it went off.
Cunningham said the shooting was likely accidental.
Underwood was arrested the night of the shooting on a charge of alcohol consumption of a minor. He has not been charged with any crime related to Maki’s death.
A sergeant with the sheriff’s department told NBC 5 that the case is being handed over to District Attorney Paige Williams on Friday.
Williams said her office's policy is to send all cases of unnatural deaths to a grand jury, which will meet Sept. 12.
The booster club has set up an account at Northstar Bank for anyone who wants to make a donation to Maki's family.
