DeKalb keeps Ezra Hill Jr.'s name alive

DeKALB – In more ways than one, Drea Harden, the mother of Ezra “EJ” Hill Jr. is hopeful for her son’s name and memory to remain alive.

Hill, who was killed by gunfire in March at the age of 10, was honored Friday before DeKalb’s varsity dual with Metea Valley. The Barbs won, 75-3.

“It was very overwhelming,” Harden said. “I’m very emotionally drawn into everything here. The coaches contacted me and they let me know they wanted to do this for EJ, and it was beautiful.”

Varsity assistant coach Max Hiatt, who coached Hill as part of the DeKalb Wrestling Club for youth wrestling, stood before the crowded Dayton Gymnasium before the dual alongside Harden and spoke about what Hill meant to the wrestling program and the community, while a picture of Hill with his fist raised high was shown on DeKalb’s video scoreboards.

A two-minute video also was played, with some of Hill’s friends sharing what he meant to them.

Harden was shown a framed singlet made to honor Hill, similar to the one she possesses in a memorial at her home, but this one will go up in the DeKalb practice wrestling room to honor Hill.

“With them putting it in the wrestling room, I thought that would be tough for the boys, but they said that it motivates them, that EJ motivates them,” Harden said.

Barbs wrestlers choked back emotions after returning to the locker room following the ceremony, then ran to the mat and routed the Mustangs.

As each Barbs wrestler walked to the mats, music played that was chosen to honor Hill. They were all songs he listened to and liked.

“Every song that came on, it was a tribute to him, and it was really special,” Harden said. “I’m just really happy that they did this for my son, just keep his name alive and keep him alive, share his memories, and it was beautiful.”

The Barbs rolled to wins in their first five matches, lost one by decision and kept the wins coming the rest of the evening.

Purple Gift of Hope bracelets were given out as a reminder for the organization for which donations are going to support research purposes. Purple Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue’s work centers around drawing attention to the fact that organ and tissue donations save thousands of lives. The organization accepts donations to advance the cause.

Harden donated Hill’s organs after his death.

“They can do more research for organ and tissue donation and let people know it’s alright to save other lives; it’s a good thing to do,” Harden said. “And get the bigger picture from it, people think you have to die, or they think they’ve got to kill you off to take your organs. That’s not how it goes. He saved a lot of lives. My baby saved a lot of lives. He’s a hero.”

The beginning of the evening sat in the minds of the Barbs.

“After we did the moment of silence, a lot of the guys on the team were crying when we went into the mat room, and we got out of that. We basically said our own little prayer and got serious,” 285-pounder Tunde Oroye said.

Oroye earned his first varsity win with a fall in the first period Friday.

“I wasn’t really part of the wrestling community like that until this year, but just to see that touched me,” Oroye said. “I didn’t really know Ezra like that, but something touched me deep down, because to see everybody have that type of emotion toward him … it made me cry a little bit.”

By the numbers: Sam Hiatt confirmed that more than $500 had been raised with T-shirts honoring Hill's life. The Barbs rolled their way to nine falls in 12 matches, coming from the likes of Kyler Klapprodt, Lukes Schmerbach, Damien Lopez, Shawn Ager, Michael Clayton, Tucker Ikens, Bryan Mora, Oroye and Danny Curran. Blake McGee won by a 13-4 major decision and Tommy Curran won by a 16-0 tech fall.

Beyond the stats: Curran returned to action from a torn labrum suffered about six months ago.

They said it: "It shows how much people cared abut Ezra," Sam Hiatt said. "We had a good crowd tonight and obviously it's emotional."

Up next: DeKalb wrestles at Oak Park River Forest on Saturday against Providence, Crown Point (Indiana) and Detroit Mercy (Michigan).