TOWN OF TONAWANDA, N.Y. — The Kenmore East High School football team and school community is paying tribute to a fellow student and teammate who was killed in a tragic accident.
"The kind of kid that his natural smile that would light up the room. Very welcoming kid who would help other kids. He was going to be one of our linemen. He was looked up to by the other kids," said Matt O'Malley, the Kenmore East head football coach.
Luke Guetti, 15, a 10th-grade student at Kenmore East High School, died after he was hit by a pickup truck while riding his bike last month on Woodstock Avenue and Yorkshire Road.
The players and coaches of Ken East's varsity and JV football teams wore T-shirts in honor of Luke. The T-shirt features the school's colors, blue and gold, as well as a heart with the No. 54.
On the back, it features Luke's name and the phrase "come and take it," a historical reference to the Texas Revolution, and one of Luke's favorite phrases.
Keith Marzec, owner of Nickel City Shirt Company, has been a longtime supplier of t-shirts for the team. This time around, printing the shirts meant a lot more than seasons past.
"We always like to think that everything we do is important but there's definitely some projects that are more important that others," Marzec said.
A version of the shirts are now available for purchase at: https://ke-football-2024.itemorder.com