Chester High School’s football team is grieving the loss of one of their own, 17-year-old Zaheem Sabree, a victim of gun violence, writes Isabella DiAmore for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
A STEM Academy Honor student who played defensive back and receiver, Sabree was shot and killed on June 30.
The team now plays in his honor.
“Me and Zaheem, we were close,” said player Shamir Williams, a STEM Academy senior. “He was my dude in school. Out here, without him … it’s more than just football for me now, I’ve got to be out here for him.”
Sabree played on the team for two years and was said to be one of the funniest players on the team.
Coach Dennis Shaw, who has been with the program for 11 years, has encouraged the players to be there for each other to keep Sabree’s name and memory alive.
The team is a safe haven for the players, Shaw said.
“I just wish that there was something out there for them other than football,” Shaw said. “His tragedy happened on a Sunday — we know where he would be if football was on a Sunday.”
Read more about Zaheem Sabree and his teammates in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
