Class 4A No. 8 Westminster Christian and Class 6A Hazel Green got in a dress rehearsal for the regular season Thursday night.

The Wildcats came out on top on the scoreboard of the abbreviated jamboree game, but much of the focus was on honoring former Trojan Chase Lozano, who died in a car accident on his way home from work earlier this month.

After the scrimmage, both teams gathered for a group picture after both Hazel Green head coach Charlie Wilborn and Westminster head coach Louis LeBlanc spoke to the teams.

“Obviously, this is hard losing somebody that you care about and, for a lot of our guys, it is the first time they’ve dealt with something like this, but unfortunately we also have some guys that this is not the first time,” Wilborn said. “The kids have done a great job of being resilient and trying to move forward, but also remembering a guy that they loved a lot as Chase was a great kid. What Westminster and coach LeBlanc did means a lot to me personally and means a lot to our kids.”

LeBlanc coached with Wilborn at West Georgia from 2008-2010 and dealt with a similar situation when football player Willie Pitts died in a car accident in March of 2009.

Westminster will wear Lozano’s initials on their helmet this season to honor his memory. LeBlanc was a little emotional as he spoke about his team coming together to help honor Lozano.

“Coach Wilborn and I have had a long friendship that started when we met back in 2008 coaching together at West Georgia,” he said. “We lost a player that I coached named Willie Pitts to a car wreck and so he and I have been through what Hazel Green is going through right now and our heart goes out to the Lozano family.

“Just listening to what was said about Chase at the memorial last Saturday brought tears to my eyes and made me just so thankful for God’s provisions. I know God is going to be taking care of that family and so something like this tonight — two teams coming together to be able to heal and to encourage — is just so important.”

Hazel Green players will all wear Lozano’s No. 3 on the back of their helmets this season. Lozano, 16, died only a few days before starting his senior year at Hazel Green.

A memorial service was held at the school last Friday, but funeral services for the family will be in California. Lozano had recently moved to Alabama.

There is a go fund me page to help offset the cost of travel for parents Kelly and Gabe Lozano and his two brothers and to help with his final arrangements.