Lewis Field in Fairbury has been the site for many celebrations.
On Saturday, it was a site for mourning.
Drew Fehr and Dylan Bazzell were responsible for many of the good times at Prairie Central's football home that parents and fans experienced in recent years. The multi-sport athletes excelled in any competition they entered, leading the rural Livingston County school to one of its most successful stretches of sports achievement in its history.
Fehr and Bazzell were also the focus of Saturday’s somber gathering as hundreds took part in a prayer vigil to honor their lives.
Fehr, 17, and Bazzell, 18, died in a ski-related accidentlast Sunday night during a spring break trip at the Copper Mountain Ski Resort in Colorado, weeks before they were set to graduate.
First Baptist Church of Fairbury pastor Brian King, an avid Hawks sports fan, recalled Fehr and Bazzell always displayed humility, even though they were larger than life to many fans, including grade school basketball players they would come to watch play on Saturday mornings.
“These little kids would look up to them and they (would say) ‘we want your autograph.’ They were so, so gracious to do that, but at the same time they were so humble,” King said. “They shined in everything that they did.”
Hillary Blackwell, Prairie Central’s cheerleading coach, organized the vigil. She said she was inspired to do something after seeing so many students struggling to cope with losing two of their classmates.
“I just saw so many sad high schoolers and I thought we need something. We need to hug every single one of them, so I thought what is an event where we can just bearhug our community and all be there for one another?” Blackwell said, estimating the candlelight vigil outside the memory wall at the football field drew about 600 participants. Many also left flowers and mementos at the wall below photos of the young men, which the words “forever in our hearts” inscribed below their names.
"They shined in everything that they did."Brian King, pastor of First Baptist Church, Fairbury
“It really speaks to who Drew and who Dylan were, how good they were to all of us and this is some way we can show important they were,” Blackwell said.
Fehr and Bazzell were two of the school’s most decorated athletes in recent memory. Fehr was an all-state football player who helped lead the Hawks to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) quarterfinals last fall. Bazzell earned all-state in basketball as the Hawks reached the No. 1 ranking in the state and matched a school record 31 wins in advancing to the sectional finals.
Bazzell won second place in the IHSA Class 2A high jump and was a finalist in the 110-meter hurdles last spring. Fehr took third place at state in the pole vault last spring.
Trevin McCulloh is assistant boys basketball coach at PCHS. He didn’t focus on any of that when he was asked to reflect on Fehr’s and Bazzell’s legacy. He said he could not put into words the time the spent with them over the last four years.
“It’s not really the game of basketball, it’s just being around them and enjoying the memories of doing all this together, that’s what I’m thankful for,” McCulloh said. “I’m not thankful for 31 wins, a regional championship, a conference championship, I’m thankful for the time that we were fortunate to have with them.”
Bazzell’s funeral will be at 11 a.m. Monday at First Baptist Church in Fairbury. Fehr’s funeral will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the church. The school district has canceled classes both days for students, teachers and staff to attend the funerals.
Prairie Central High School will have counselors available at the school both days.
Kent Casson/Fairbury News contributed to this report.
