NORMAL, Ill. (WMBD) — A wave of purple filled Normal West’s stands Friday night as the football game was dedicated to former Wildcat Nicholas Zapata who was killed Sept. 24 in Bloomington.
The fans, coaches, players, and cheerleaders had a “purple out” by wearing purple to the game to remember Zapata by his favorite color.
Prior to the game Friday night, both the Normal West and Peoria Manual players and cheerleaders took a knee as they watched a memorial video and held a moment of silence of Zapata on the scoreboard.
During the moment a silence, emotion could be felt across the stadium as the Normal West players wept while remembering their former teammate.
Zapata spent four years on the Normal West football team until he graduated this past spring.
The Wildcats went on to beat the Manual Rams 54-0 Friday night.
