The sights and sounds of Friday night football in North Texas usually bring about a certain energy. But something about this one was different.
It was hard to escape the reality that one player who should've been on the field was not. Anthony Strather, number 46, will never again stand beside his teammates.
It's rocked the community, including Ashley Villacorta, whose niece is on the drill team and was close to Strather.
"We went from doing college tours to now I'm having to comfort my niece because she's having panic attacks," said Villacorta. "You're seventeen, you shouldn't have to deal with anything like this, not death and not this type of death."
Strather died Thursday after being shot during an altercation between several teens. Arlington Police say he lost his life trying to break up the fight.
On this night, it was clear who the football team was playing for.
Sophomore Joseph Singleton says Strather was somewhat of a mentor
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"Everything he taught me I just want to push, for school because I know that school was a very big thing for him and for everybody that he talked to. He was a student-athlete. That was a lot to him. He had a bright future," said Singleton.
In the midst of all the cheers and all the lights, there were heavy hearts banding together to heal from a tragedy that just doesn't make sense.
We're told Strather was a member of the police 5.0 mentoring program, which held sessions on violence and life choices.
Bowie high won Friday's game against Trimble Tech with a final score of 55 to 3.
