Edna Football, In Memory of Noah Ortiz - Highlights/Interviews - Chevy Spotlight

This seems like a typical football game, (Sounds of Fans Cheering) it even sounds like one too. But take a closer look, on one of the sidelines between the benches you’ll find a cross, a cross with the #50 on it. In the stands the number 5 and 0 are also prominently displayed, because you see for the town of Edna and their Cowboys it’s no longer just about winning. Even though that’s the best way to cope with unspeakable loss. “I don’t know how we did it.” Fifteen year old Noah Ortiz had a passion for this game. “He was a good football player, real good football player.” As a sophomore he earned a starting spot along the varsity defensive line. “Just a courageous young man, he was kind of kid you always want to coach, you wish they were all like that.” He helped guide the Cowboys to the playoffs this season, it’s the best team this town of 5,500 has seen since 1991. And with a round three game against Ingram Moore fast approaching, Noah and his teammates were focused on one thing. “That week at practice we were talking about how we were ready for this game.” News Report “and we begin with breaking news in Jackson County where officials are searching a burned out mobile home for 5 children”. “I got a phone call I was up getting ready for school that morning and got a phone call.” On the morning of November 25 a fire broke out at Noah’s home, by the time emergency responders arrived on the scene the house was fully engulfed in flames. Two of Noah’s brothers Julian and Nicholas along with his two sisters Ariana and Liliana never made it out, neither did Noah who lost his life trying to save them. “I woke up that morning my dad came in and he told me the news and I just fell out I broke out and cried, I just saw him yesterday I just talked to him yesterday, I heard him yesterday and then my dad telling me he was gone.” “You went to bed with everybody in bed and good night I love you, and the next morning your life is changed forever. It’s just devastating.” “It’s something we’re not used to around here, we’ve never lost somebody on the team like that before.” The tragedy left Edna stunned. “This is so sad to see the children died.” It left a football team asking why “Losing him was like losing one of my own brothers.” And wondering how they would be able to take the field just 3 days later, in the biggest game of their lives. “I said guys I think what we need to do now I think Noah would be proud of us the way we honor him is go out and play good football.” Wearing altered helmets that now donned Noah’s #50, several players hugged Noah’s parents who were in attendance. And the Cowboys took the field. “It wasn’t the same, we were used to Noah going out there him getting out of his stance and then firing off the ball getting through the line trying to get a tackle. It just wasn’t the same without seeing Noah on the field.” But even with heavy hearts Edna immediately grabbed control of the game, the ball bouncing in their favor most of the night. In the fourth quarter the Cowboys drove the field and got into the endzone for one final touchdown, making the score 50-28. “When we saw the 50 on the board we were telling coach let’s not kick the ball, let’s just keep the 50 up there.” The extra point team ran onto the field, but this time they had special instructions. “I got the attention of the holder and told him just to fall on the ball, to me that’s pretty unbelievable that we had that opportunity someone is watching over us and made that happen.” “We remember Noah and we remember that our coach told us that he was gonna look down on us which he did we scored those 50 points for him. “ An unforgettable victory that goes beyond the scoreboard. “It’s just been a time that has brought our team closer together” And united a small town because of #50 who will never be forgotten.