Two schools unite to honor Todd Horne

MIDLAND CITY — It’s been a rough month for Dale County High School principal Leavy Boutwell.

He lost a brother just last week, and he has dealt with a school bus overturning after school. Not to mention his school’s football field was vandalized just three days after DCHS head football coach Todd Horne was killed in an auto accident.

A month to the day after Horne died, Dale County will open its football season at home, this Friday against G.W. Long, where Horne spent 15 years as an assistant. This would have been his third year at Dale County.

Despite the school trying to return to normalcy after the loss of a loved one, Boutwell still struggles with Horne’s death every day.

“(It will be) gut-wrenching (Friday),” Boutwell said. “It’s been every day and it will be for the rest of my life. I keep looking for Todd around here and I can’t find him.

“It’s hard when that kind of influence leaves your life. He was a jokester. He’d joke, laugh and act like he had nothing to do with it.”

Horne’s accident happened in Ozark, and four other coaches were with him. Assistant Chad McKnight suffered the most serious injuries, with a fracture of the C1 (top most) vertebra and cuts on his neck and face as well as sore ribs.

Boutwell was happy to report Tuesday that McKnight “was about 95 percent,” and had been back coaching for two weeks. He’ll be coaching Friday night.

“He’ll be on the sidelines or in the press box or wherever they put him,” Boutwell said. “Chad’s a trooper.”

At 7 p.m., a pregame ceremony honoring Horne will take place. Horne’s wife, Alisa, and children Cameron and Colby will be presented a plaque honoring Horne. A similar plaque will hang in memory in the school’s hallway.

Boutwell said a House and Senate Resolution honoring Horne’s accomplishments is looking to be passed, and two senators have been invited.

Boutwell asked G.W. Long’s players to line up on one 40-yard line while Dale County’s players line up on the other 40 during the ceremony.

T-shirts depicting the communities of Skipperville and Midland City uniting for one cause have been sold all over Dale County, and the proceeds will go to Cameron and Colby Horne’s education.

DCHS bookkeeper Amy Pierce said she wasn’t sure how many T-shirts had been sold county-wide, but around 450 had been sold at DCHS.