Southmoreland to honor late alumnus with football helmet sticker

By: Bill Beckner Jr.
Tuesday, July 20, 2021 | 9:22 AM

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Remembered as a teammate who could lighten the mood when football created tense moments like it can, Brandon Peterson left quite an impression on the Southmoreland football team. He is missed more every day.

The team will honor their fallen friend by wearing his number 15 on the back of their helmets this season.

They will proudly display red “Pete 15” stickers beneath an American flag and next to a thick red stripe on the helmets.

Peterson, a four-sport athlete, was killed Dec. 22, 2020, when a tractor-trailer struck him and his disabled pickup truck along the southbound lanes of Route 119 in East Huntingdon. He was 18.

The friendly and jovial Peterson, who was getting ready to start a basketball career at Penn State Fayette, was a big-play receiver and defensive end for the Scotties.

“We’re talking about doing something for him in our first game,” Scotties coach Dave Keefer said. “He was such a great kid, funny and one of the most entertaining kids you’ll meet. It’s just so tragic what happened.”

A makeshift memorial still stands at the front gate at Russ Grimm Field in Alverton. Peterson’s shoes, ball cap and other trinkets are flanked and framed by flowers, a wreath and 11 Mountain Dew bottles of varying size. It was his signature drink.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

Tags: Southmoreland