Wamego community comes together to remember Dylan Higgins

A large group of students, athletes, and spectators gather in a circle at the center of the Wamego High School football field to remember Dylan Higgins. (Gavin Hiatt)

Listen to the full audio storyBy Gavin Hiatt

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The Wamego community continues to come together following the death of Wamego High School senior and football player Dylan Higgins.

Higgins, 17, died September 13 in a UTV accident in Pottawatomie County. He was a senior defensive back for Wamego and wore No. 3.

Just days after Higgins’ death, Wamego faced rival Rock Creek in a game that became about much more than football. Wamego head coach Weston Moody said his team needed to stay together during a difficult time.

“Right now, it’s hurting everybody, and you got to stay strong, and you know football is a sport of - it’s a team sport,” Moody said. “So making sure that you know you’re staying together is the most important thing.”

Moody also described Higgins as an “Ultimate teammate,” saying, “He was the ultimate teammate that would give anything for his friends.”

The loss also reached across the rivalry to Rock Creek. Head coach Shane Sieben said, “Our hearts are with them and they’re in our thoughts and players.

Sieben also put the game into perspective, saying, “In the big picture, it’s such a small piece of their life. It’s a game and we hope [our players] understand that perspective, that there are things way more important than football and this is definitely one of them.”

Since Higgins’ passing, teammates, coaches and community members have continued to support his family and the Wamego football program.

Memorial contributions are suggested to the Dylan Higgins Memorial Fund. Checks can be made payable to the Dylan Higgins Memorial Fund and left with Campanella & Stewart Funeral Home, P.O. Box 48, Wamego, KS 66547.