MAYSVILLE, Ky. (LEX 18) — The Mason County community is honoring a teenager killed in a wreck this week. Coltin Claypoole was going into his junior year. He and three other teens were in a truck that went off the road early yesterday morning. Coltin was killed. Now, his football coach says they'll do everything they can to honor him.
Coltin was on Mason County's football and wrestling teams. Corey Arthur was his coach.
"Just the embodiment of a good, hard-working young man. He's going to be dearly missed," Arthur said.
Last night, his teammates, classmates, and anyone else who cared about him gathered at the football field.
"Everybody was all one. We were all grieving together and we left the doors open, let the players and the students hang out for as long as they needed, coaches hung out until the last one decided to go home," Arthur said.
Three other students were in the truck with Coltin when the wreck happened. Arthur said they're all home now. As they all figure out how to deal with the loss of Coltin, they're making sure no one is left alone and everyone has support.
"Made sure to tell all of them we love them. They get tired of hearing it. They're teenage boys and they always think it's corny, but I've said it a few times today and the last 24 hours, we unfortunately today found out why we say it so much and why it means so much to us," Arthur said.
Going forward, the coaches want the players to keep Coltin in mind in everything they do.
"Now you live your life and you live one for him, too. You're lucky enough to do that and you've got to make sure things happen that he would have wanted to happen and that you would want to have happened for him," Arthur said.
Arthur said Coltin's locker is the last one they pass in the locker room before heading out onto the field, so they'll hang his jersey there to pay tribute to him each game for what would have been his last two seasons.
