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Kody Henderson, courtesy of the GoFundMe set up by his family. 

Kody Henderson, a freshman at Pike Creek High School, was killed Oct. 10 in a car crash.

Kody Henderson, courtesy of the GoFundMe set up by his family. 

Pine Creek and its football program lost freshman Kody Henderson on Sunday. 

His foster parents, Ken and Angela Montgomery, set up a GoFundMe that's surpassed its original goal of $10,000 to cover medical and funeral expenses. Henderson was killed in a vehicle accident. 

Because of his time in foster care and subsequent adoption, Henderson's family explained the need for help in the GoFundMe. 

"Kody came to the Montgomery family through the foster care system, and as a result, they could not carry needed insurances that would assist them in covering expenses during this tragic time," the page wrote. "David Russell and Jenifur Henderson, Kody’s biological parents, also feel his loss deeply and appreciate your continued thoughts and prayers." 

The school is planning to remember Henderson Saturday with the freshmen team he was set to debut on this week after struggling with a knee injury. Monday was slated to be his first practice back before playing this weekend. 

Each player will have a black "KH24" sticker on their helmets. The student body will also take to the field after the game to release balloons from the 24-yard line — Kody's number on the freshmen team. 

Kody Henderson, a freshman at Pike Creek High School, was killed Oct. 10 in a car crash.

The game against Chaparral is set to kick off at 9 a.m. at Pine Creek's on-campus turf field. Since varsity will be on the road against the same opponent, the Wolverines will have a moment of silence, as well. 

As much as the foster care system impacted Henderson, freshmen coach Don Chatman was beginning to see the fruits of his efforts to overcome the hurdles. As a raw player, he was already becoming a contributing member of the program, as well as finding his calling as a friend. 

"This was supposed to be his first game back, which hurts even more," Chatman said. "I coached him in eighth-grade spring football and I knew he'd overcome a lot in his personal life. His foster mom had reached out to me and asked if I could help him through sports. 

"The outpouring of support from the student body and team — he made an impact on us, just as much as we impacted him." 

Varsity will also honor Henderson in its next and final home game against Doherty. 

On Friday, Oct. 29, they will bring in a pre-game food truck, courtesy of Mile High BBQ, with the proceeds going to Henderson's family. 

There will also be a moment of silence before the game.

Due to the suddenness of Henderson's passing, the school's full plans are still being made. It will announce further actions in the near future. 

The already-made plans came from several meetings, including one between Chatman and the freshmen team. It was the player's idea to dawn the black-and-white stickers. 

Henderson's family has already announced that all additional funds donated, beyond what they need to cover his expenses, will be "donated in Kody’s honor to the Pine Creek High School Football team and Brad’s House, a home for foster boys."

Contact the writer: luke.zahlmann@gazette.com

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