Plum youth football community mourns, honors Keegan Clontz

Keegan Clontz’s No. 40 football jersey hung from one of the goalposts during the Plum Little Mustangs 12U scrimmage Wednesday evening against Franklin Regional at the Plum Midget Football Association fields along Ross Hollow Road.

His initials also were painted on the field at the 40-yard line.

They were two of the more visible reminders to the team’s players, their coaches, their family members and all throughout the Plum Midget Football Association of a young teammate and friend who dedicated himself to being the best he could be.

“Keegan’s teammates all loved him. He gave 100% every time he was on the field,” said Joel Kline, Keegan’s coach with the Little Mustangs.

Keegan Clontz, 12, and his father, Casey, 38, died Saturday when a house on Rustic Ridge Drive in Plum’s Rustic Ridge neighborhood exploded.

Six people died as a result of the explosion.

A football season quickly became a secondary thought as those within the PMFA pooled their time and resources to help the affected Rustic Ridge families.

As many from Rustic Ridge and throughout Plum and beyond rushed to help their neighbors in the immediate aftermath, far more important priorities were established, and last Saturday’s season-opening home games against Ford City were postponed indefinitely.

“It was just a crazy, awful day,” Kline said.

The PMFA fields Sunday evening became a drop-off point for donations, monetary and otherwise.

It also became a place where many, including some of the Little Mustangs players, were able to gather.

“I got to see a couple of the kids who came down as we were filling up a couple box trucks with all of the donations,” Kline said.

“Each was handling the situation differently. Once we started talking about what happened, you could tell how sad they were. There was also some confusion as they tried to understand. For a lot of them, this is the first time they’ve gone through something like this. The kids on the younger teams, it’s been really tough to see them through all this.”

PMFA coaches and officials canceled practice Monday before resuming on-field activities Tuesday evening.

Parents, coaches, players and others gathered at the field to watch the teams practice and the cheer teams work on their routines while also being together to comfort one another and carry on the best they could the activities that meant so much to Casey and Keegan.

“(Tuesday’s practice) was probably the hardest day of my coaching career,” Kline said.

Signs, T-shirts and other items have been made with proceeds going to the Clontz family and all of the other families affected by the tragedy.

“In a word, it’s been overwhelming in every aspect,” said Eric Wood, whose son, Bennett, plays on the Stallions 10U age-group team.

“Everywhere you turn, someone is looking to help in so many ways. The past couple of weeks, practices had been an upbeat and festive atmosphere. On Tuesday, it was pretty somber. But at the same time, people from throughout the organization were selling T-shirts and signs to raise money and were just there for each other. We, as an organization, are hurting so much for the Clontz family and all the families affected.”

The PMFA has received an outpouring of support and donations from the teams in the AYFL, the Big East Youth Football League and various other youth football organizations throughout the region.

“You take a step back and realize how many good people are reaching out and wanting to support us and the Plum community as a whole, whether that is game-day concessions, collecting donations or just signs of support before or during their games,” Kline said.

“So many people are asking what they can do. It’s all a part of how everyone is coming together.”

Plum and Franklin Regional are former rivals in the Big East Youth Football League.

Before play began Wednesday, the teams shared the field to honor Keegan’s memory. The Little Mustangs and Stallions teams also gathered in a circle around Keegan’s initials at the 40-yard line. They all took a knee for a moment of silence for Keegan, his father and the others affected by the explosion.

Michael Love | Tribune-Review

The Plum Midget Football Association honors Keegan Clontz on Wednesday with his number on the field along Ross Hollow Road.

Tim Hurney, head coach of Franklin Regional’s 12U team, said he felt the weight and emotion of the evening.

“Half of my neighborhood is Plum, so we are very close,” Hurney said. “At first, you didn’t hear any names, but then you hear one was a member of one of Plum’s football team, and it really hit home. I have a 12-year-old, and it quickly became personal. This is the eighth year we’ve played Plum, whether it is in a game or a scrimmage. The kids know each other from different sports, and the communities are so close. We are here to support (PMFA) any way we can.”

Kline, Wood and PMFA official Chevonne Morgan said there will be memorial gestures from the teams moving forward, including a sticker with Keegan’s No. 40 on all of the helmets and possible patches for the uniforms.

Kline’s connection with Keegan and the Clontz family dates back about five years when Kline coached Keegan in basketball for the YMCA.

“Later on, I coached him in baseball, and it was his first time playing,” Kline said. “All the kids on that baseball team I coached in football, and that’s when they encouraged him to play football. Sure enough, he came out for football last year for the first time.

“He played safety last year and had a big interception in a game. This year, we needed some kids to step up and play offensive and defensive line, and Keegan was the first one to step up. He was doing great there in practice. He was raised so well by two fantastic parents, and my heart just breaks for Jen and the entire Clontz family.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers, upon hearing what the Little Mustangs have been through the past several days, invited Keegan’s teammates to training camp.

The team members spent Thursday afternoon at Saint Vincent College, watching the Steelers practice.

“They’ve been through so much the past several days, and I think it is something that helps them take their minds off of everything for a couple of hours,” Kline said. “It shows these kids yet another example that people understand, and they care.”

Days after the tragic fatal house explosion in Plum, youth football players from the municipality were special guests at Steelers training camp practice Thursday.

Patrick Peterson began signing autographs for some kids, and most of the rest of the defense joined him pic.twitter.com/vROBw0Be6W

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 17, 2023

The PMFA continued to collect gift cards and monetary donations for the families of Rustic Ridge on Thursday evening.

The organization also is accepting Venmo contributions at @PlumMidget-FootballAssoc.

The Plum football teams now are scheduled to open their seasons Sunday at West Mifflin Stadium. Games begin at 10 a.m. and continue through the start of the 12U game at 3.