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Kings High School lacrosse players, coaches, students and parents dedicated a long-awaited lacrosse practice wall to a fallen friend.

Lacrosse player Kyle Reaves drowned in a lake during the July 4th weekend in 2006. The 16 year old was visiting relatives in Alabama when witnesses said he dove into the water and never resurfaced.

Former teammates remembered him with Kyle's Wall, dedicated on Thursday, May 15, at the high school.

Lacrosse players use the wall to practice throwing and catching balls, said Assistant Coach John Urban, who was Kyle's neighbor.

Kyle had only been playing about 18 months before he died, but he quickly caught on to the game, his coach said.

"Some people naturally gravitate to certain sports because it fits their personality," Urban said. Had Kyle continued playing through high school, "he would've been a decent college player."

A group of Kyle's friends and former teammates held events during the past two years to raise money to support lacrosse at Kings.

Cookouts, clam bakes, cell phone and inkjet cartridge recycling and individual donations have made possible a fund for students who cannot afford to pay the fees associated with playing lacrosse. Students pay an annual school athletic participation fee of $300 and students must supply their own equipment.

Materials to construct the concrete wall were mostly donated, Urban said. A plaque is expected to be placed next to Kyle's Wall.

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4541 or dwilson@coxohio.com.

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