KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — At Austin-East High School, student-athletes prepared for a big game against Fulton on Friday. Yet, their hearts were heavy after losing one of their own.
John-John Mathis, 17, died in a shooting in early August. He was a member of the school's football team. Friends, family and the community gathered to celebrate his life on Thursday.
Head coach Antonio Mayes said that Friday's game was not just about football. For him, the game was about making the community smile and showing the team they had each other's backs.
"We are a family here at Austin-East and we didn't lose a football player, we lost a member of our family," he said. "First play of the game, we'll play with ten kids because John-John would have been one of the first 11 to first go out there."
Coach Mayes said that he was ready for the rest of the season too. The team was passionate, he said, and the entire team was ready to take on the challenges ahead.
"The kids just want to be able to do something good on the field, go back to the sidelines and have the person that came to see them say, 'I'm proud of you,'" he said.