Wildcat players will wear #18 to honor DPD Ofc. Darron Burks.
Lake Highlands High School will play their first home football game of the season tonight at The Boneyard, and the team has dedicated the season to one special alum — Darron Burks. Dallas Police Officer Burks, who played football and basketball for the Wildcats, was killed in the line of duty Aug. 29.
Each member of the team will honor Burks by marking his helmet with the number 18 — Burks’ jersey number while playing for the Wildcats. Jerry Gayden was head coach for Burks and his teammates from the class of 1998, and wife Betty Gayden remembers that Burks “always led the team in prayer before and after games.”
“Sweet soul and special young man. The team called him ‘Preacher’,” Gayden added. “Loved everyone and everyone he met always got a big smile and a hug.”
Lake Highlands will face North Garland at 7 p.m. tonight, and tickets are available online here. For safety reasons, the district has a clear bag policy.
Burks was ambushed by Corey Cobb-Bey, who allegedly was seeking to execute police officers that fateful night. He approached Burks, seated in his patrol vehicle in the For Oak Cliff community center, and spoke with him a few moments before shooting him. He then waited for responding officers and shot Senior Corporal Jamie Farmer and Senior Corporal Karissa Farmer. Farmer remains in the hospital with serious injuries to her face.
Watermark Church will host a public visitation tonight from 7 to 9 p.m. and from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Funeral services will be held Saturday at 11 a.m. at Watermark, 7540 LBJ Freeway. The public is invited.
Football locker of Holden Layne. Photo by Blythe Layne.
