SPRINGDALE -- Two teams took the field in Springdale on Friday and converged into one on a night when tears preceded the cheers.
This was an emotional tribute to a young man's life -- Kyler Williams' life.
Williams should've been on the field, leading his team against Springdale's crosstown rivals Har-Ber. He should've been at his wide receiver position, like in Springdale's previous game when he was the dominant player on the field.
But he wasn't. Perhaps in spirit but not in the flesh in his Springdale red and white No. 3 jersey he wore so proudly.
Williams was killed in a one-car accident last Saturday night, hours after he led the Bulldogs to a victory over Rogers Heritage.
So, how do you explain the unexplainable? How do you accept the unacceptable? Why in the world do horrible things happen, especially to a 17-year-old on the cusp of adulthood and with so much potential?
Those are the hard questions fans at Springdale Har-Ber likely wrestled with during a tribute to Williams before Friday's kickoff. A sea of red representing Springdale High's colors filled both sides of the stadium, including the home side at Wildcat Stadium where navy and Carolina Blue usually dominates.
The overflow crowd stood in silence during a video tribute to Williams, interrupted only by a few laughs at a snippet that showed Williams dancing and having fun. The outpouring of emotion on this night united the Springdale community and extended throughout Northwest Arkansas, where several high school teams wore "KW3" stickers on their helmets, and many fans word ONE 3 CITY shirts.
Red and white balloons were released beforehand and drifted away in front of Springdale cheerleaders who wore shirts that read "Fly high, KWill 3." In a final gesture, players from Springdale and Har-Ber stood with three fingers raised on first down while quarterback Layne Hutchins threw a long pass that Williams would have surely caught had he been there.
"I wish I could hug him," Springdale coach Zak Clark said in the video tribute, "and tell him I love him one more time."
Har-Ber won as expected, 38-7, against a Springdale team that bravely took the field after having its heart ripped out.
A week ago today, we awoke to news on what would become an incredibly sad day. Not only with Williams' death, but Miami Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez, who was killed along with two friends the previous night in a boating accident in Miami. The sports world also lost Arnold Palmer, a legend in golf who passed away at age 87.
Then, there was Mike Bender, a former offensive line coach at Arkansas who Frank Broyles called "a Razorback in everything he did." Bender was 73.
I watched Williams' last game and his play that night reminded me of another Springdale standout, Damian Williams, who led Springdale to a 14-0 record and a state championship in 2005. Kyler Williams caught 10 passes for 265 yards and three touchdowns against Rogers Heritage and, days later, was an easy selection for ARpreps.com Athlete of the Week.
After the game, Williams celebrated with his teammates and Springdale fans who rushed the field. I did a video interview with Williams then, while walking away, overheard his answer when a girl suggested he was the best receiver in the state.
"I don't know about that," said Williams, a humble player who routinely spread the credit around for Springdale's success.
Dennis DeBusk, a longtime coach who has seen plenty of talent, said every college team in the country would've been after Williams had he stood 6-foot-1 instead of 5-9. Williams had that kind of ability and would've undoubtedly played college football had he lived. But he was much more than a talented athlete.
"Kyler was a great school leader, student leader in our school," Springdale High Principal Peter Joenks said. "Kids loved him, and he was a leader on and off campus. He's going to be on the hearts and minds of our kids and faculty for a long time."
So, what now?
We can start by following what our sports editor, Chip Souza, suggested on Twitter shortly after hearing of Kyler's death.
Hug your kids tight. Tell them you love them. Every. Single. Day.
RIP, KW3.
Sports on 10/02/2016