Yorktown was staring down a two-touchdown deficit, with just one timeout left and under a minute ticking away on the clock. It was Friday night, and the game was pretty much out of reach. But as the offense took the field for one last drive, quarterback Sam Tokar had a message for his teammates that cut through everything else: “Let’s finish this for Chris.” He told them, “It would be a dishonor to him to go out bad there.”
Refusing to Quit For Chris
On a night already heavy with emotion, Tokar and the Tigers fought to the absolute bitter end. In the game’s final play, with Pendleton Heights ultimately winning 42-33, Tokar scrambled, escaped pressure, and then lofted a pass right into the end zone. Kaden Crumes, covered tight, hauled it in for a Yorktown touchdown. Think about that: a touchdown when the game was basically done. That wasn’t about the scoreboard. That was about honoring Chris Wilson Jr., their senior teammate tragically killed in a Muncie shooting early Monday morning. It was about showing up.
Honoring a Light, an Athlete, a Friend
This wasn’t just a tough game, it was an emotional gauntlet. Chris Wilson Jr. wasn’t just any teammate. Tokar called him a “brother,” a guy he “laughed and joked with” and who “knew had my back.” “Chris was a guy that always had your back,” Tokar emphasized. And you saw that bond everywhere. Before the game, Yorktown’s seniors, Diezel Walker and Grayson Diaz, carried Wilson’s No. 79 jersey onto the field, walking right behind Coach Mike Wilhelm. Junior Dave Bond followed, carrying Chris’s helmet. Even Pendleton Heights, their opponent, got it. They held a moment of silence for Wilson. And in a powerful tribute, the Tigers started their first defensive play with only 10 players, leaving Wilson’s spot empty on the field. Chris, a 6-5, 235-pound defensive end, was the No. 5 prospect in the state, committed to West Virginia, planning to head there in January. He had his whole future ahead of him.
A Family’s Unbreakable Spirit
Watching it all unfold from the front row of the bleachers were Chris’s parents, his mother Tywanna Price and stepfather Derrick Price, surrounded by family and friends. Tywanna admitted, “I haven’t been wanting to get out of the house.” But she knew, “he would want us to be here.” Derrick said seeing his jersey and feeling the energy from the team “made it feel like he’s around you right now.” He added that football for Chris wasn’t just about the sport. “It was about the people that he met and the people he was around.” Chris “didn’t want to let his team down” and “all of these kids were over at the house, even before this happened.” Tywanna beautifully described her son “as a light to everybody.” The family absolutely wanted the game to go on. Derrick put it perfectly: “We love those players out there just like we love our son.” He said his wife “loses her voice every game. She’s not just cheering our son; she’s cheering the team.” Coach Wilhelm even admitted he wasn’t sure how the team would handle the emotions this week, but Tokar, who’s actually an Indiana baseball recruit, clearly set the tone with a brilliant 43-yard run.
This wasn’t just one game, it was a moment. The Price family, who also have a 12-year-old son and an 8-year-old daughter, plans to be there for all of Yorktown’s remaining games. Next up, it’s the regular-season finale at home against Mt. Vernon. You can bet Yorktown will take the field still playing for Chris, carrying his memory and his spirit with them every single down. That’s what family does.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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