‘He was a tremendous young man’: UVA football player’s High School coach speaks on his death

CONWAY, S.C. (WMBF) - Three lives are lost and several communities are mourning after a gunman fired on a University of Virginia bus at the Culbreth Grounds on Sunday night.

Police arrested former Virginia football player, Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., who killed three members of the 2022 Cavaliers football team and injured two others in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Football players Devin Chandler, D’Sean Perry, and Lavel Davis Jr., were shot and killed, according to University of Virginia President Jim Ryan.

This tragedy has left both UVA and those who were close to the victims devasted, including Wilson High School Head Football Coach Rodney Mooney.

Coach Mooney said he coached Davis previously at Woodland High School.

He said Davis’s death hurt the most as this isn’t the first student-athlete he’s lost to a violent crime.

“These senseless crimes have got to stop. And it angers me to see another young man who has a bright future, lost his life over whatever. Over just senseless crimes,” said Mooney.

Coach Mooney said he will always remember how much of a bright light Davis was.

“He wanted to get the best out of himself, he wanted to get the best out of his teammates. He was just a blessing to coach for that year and to get to know,” said Mooney. “He was always great in the classrooms, was great character-wise, and was a great athlete. I just can’t say enough good things about him.”

In the midst of this tragedy, Coastal Carolina University’s football team is determining if their scheduled game against UVA Saturday, Nov. 19, 2022, will go on.

WMBF News will update this story when that decision is announced.

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