Two students from Wilmington and two from Clinton-Massie were honorary captains as part of the Little Hearts Big Smiles celebration.
The honorary captains for Wilmington were Duke Beckett and Billy Snowball. Clinton-Massie’s honorary captains were Jaiden Noble and David Gross.
The honorary captains went to midfield to participate in the coin toss prior to the varsity football game between the Hurricane and the Falcons.
The schools worked together to raise more than $2,000 for Little Hearts Big Smiles, which has been part of the football rivalry between WHS and CMHS for the past three seasons.
Beckett, son of Dirk and Trisha Beckett, is a fourth grade student at Denver Place Elementary School. His sister Addi is in the fifth grade at Denver. Duke’s teachers say, “He is a terrific addition to our fourth grade class. He is a hard worker and always has a smile to share with other students. He is a friend to everyone in fourth grade. We are so proud of Duke for being an honorary captain for the football game. Keep being awesome Duke, the press release said.
Snowball, son of Amy Snowball and Bill Snowball, is a senior at WHS. He has a younger brother Mike. Teachers indicate he is a pleasure to have in the classroom. He works hard daily, has a positive attitude and has developed strong relationships with staff and peers, the press release stated. Billy would like to become a mechanic after high school and expand upon the skills he has obtained while enrolled at Wilmington High School and Laurel Oaks Career Campus. Billy’s interest is working on different cars. He said, “I hope every single student here at Wilmington High School works as hard as I have.”
Noble is a first grade student at Clinton-Massie Elementary School. His teachers are Mrs. Taylor and Mrs. Dillow. They are so glad to have Jaiden in their classes. Jaiden is always positive and works hard. He is very kind to his teachers, administrators, classmates, and schoolmates, the release said. Thank you Jaiden for being a part of our Clinton-Massie community. Jaiden’s favorite color is blue. Jaiden loves to play with cars, swim and have bonfires. Jaiden has two brothers Taylor and Devon, and a sister-in-law Kathleen. He is uncle Jaiden to his niece baby Nyia. And he wants everyone to know that he loves his mom.
Gross, son of Holly and David Gross, is a senior at Clinton-Massie High School. He currently is in the Career Exploration program at Laurel Oaks Career Center. He has a sister Ashley. David has a heart condition among other disabilities. His teachers say he is a hard working young man who always does his best and brings a smile to everyone’s face. David loves to ride his bike. David is a huge fan of the Clinton-Massie Falcons and loves to cheer them on to victory. He is extremely excited to be able to be a part of this event, according to the release.
