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The Gillett High School football team practiced Wednesday morning, because that’s what Justin Demers would have wanted.

Demers was killed and teammate Blair Hicks was injured in a two-car crash Tuesday afternoon.

“It’s devastating to high school kids, it’s devastating to adults,” said coach Rich Kamps. “It’s tragic ... two young kids, both good students, both good athletes, both leaders. One no longer with us and one fighting for his life.”

Demers — a top athlete and student at Gillett — had just dropped off a fellow teammate at home and was leaving when his car was struck by an oncoming vehicle.

The accident occurred on Harrys Road near Settlement Road about 2:30 p.m.

Demers was pronounced dead at the scene.

Hicks received head injuries and was listed in fair condition Wednesday afternoon at St. Vincent Medical Center in Green Bay.

Hicks, who is going into his junior year, was trying out this year to be starting quarterback. Demers, who was going to be a senior, was in his second year as team captain and played fullback and middle linebacker, Kamps said. Demers, who wore the No. 40 jersey, earned All-Conference honorable mention last year. He and Hicks also have lettered in the sport.

More than 100 students and parents at gathered Gillett High School Tuesday night to mourn Demers and pray for Hicks. Kamps and his assistant coaches also met with the team at the school.

“We talked about what Blair means to our football program and what Justin meant to the football program, our team and our family. We cried quite a bit and got down on a knee and said the Lord’s Prayer,” Kamps said. “I told them to go home and say a prayer for Blair because he was fighting for his life.”

The coaches, team and administration decided that it would be best to continue with the morning practice schedule this week.

“You’ve got to understand (Justin) would have wanted us to do that. He truly wanted us to turn the football program around and he had worked extremely hard over the last year to make himself better than he was already,” Kamps said.

He and his assistant coaches were impressed with how the team cam together for what Kamps called a great practice.

“The whole coaching staff is very proud of these young men and the way they’ve handled themselves over the past 24 hours with all the adversity that’s just been thrown in their face,” Kamps said. “They came out and responded at practice just unbelievably.”

The practices will help them to grieve as a team.

“We’re going to move forward and come out of this a closer knit group,” Kamps said.

Counselors will be available at the school all week for students and staff, Principal Sam Santacroce said.

The team will play the upcoming season for Demers and Hicks. Kamps said he was careful not to say they were dedicating the season to them because he doesn’t want to have the team be disappointed if they lose. What’s important, he added, is that they give 100 percent.

“It’s devastating to a small-town football team to lose both kids who were two-way starters,” Kamps said.

The team will play a scrimmage in Marion on Aug. 22 and their first home

game Aug. 29 against Three Lakes.

Football was not their only sport. Hicks plays baseball and basketball and

Demers ran track and also was on the basketball team.

Demers was planning to go into Marine Corps after high school and had been

working out weekly at one of the reserve centers in Green Bay.

“He was proud of the fact he was going to serve his country. He was a good

citizen.” Kamps said. “My heart goes out to his family. My heart goes out

to the Hicks family as well.”

Santacroce said Demers was popular and a strong student academically. His

family recently moved to Suamico, but he wanted to finish his high school

career at Gillett.

“He was an excellent student, high academics, National Honor Society, top

10 in his class. He was on homecoming court and just an overall well-liked

student. That’s reflective of the number of students who came out last

night in support and to help deal with this,” Santacroce said. “He

certainly will be missed by everyone in the school.”

Visitation will be from 4 to 8 p.m. Friday at Kuehl Funeral Home, 108 E.

Main St., Gillett with a prayer service at 7 p.m. Visitation will continue

for an hour before the 10 a.m. Mass Saturday at St. John Catholic Church,

Gillett. The Rev. Joseph Coopmans will officiate.

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