Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

February, 2016

Brookfield/Elm Grove Monthly

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By Chris Bucher Freeman Staff BROOKFIELD — Brook- field Central senior running back Malik Turner has passed away, Lancers coach Jed Kennedy confirmed Jan. 20. Central administrators informed the student body Jan. 20 of Turner's passing, offering support and coun- seling at the high school for those in need until the evening. "It's been a very difficult day, a very sad day and there will be difficult days that we will tackle together," Cen- tral Principal Brett Gruetz- macher said in a verbal statement posted to Cen- tral's official Twitter account. "It's important that we stay together in times of sorrow and loss. I'm very proud of the stu- dents, how they supported each other and I'm very proud of the staff in the way they supported the students and each other as well." The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner ruled his death a suicide. Central senior quarter- back Dominic Labellarte said players were informed of Turner's passing in the morning in the weight room and students had an impromptu remembrance at Central until 7 p.m. Jan. 20. He said it was difficult to describe the way Turner could light up a room with his grin, but it was some- thing he could always rely on. "He was a great person and was always able to put a smile on my, our whole team's, face," Labellarte said. "His laugh was hilari- ous. The first time I ever met him was freshman year when he was in one of our workouts and we found out we were teammates. He came in with a polo (shirt) and some jeans. He didn't change, he just did a the workout in those clothes." Kennedy said Turner's work ethic was what always made him stand out from a coaching perspective. He said Turner consistently put the work in to get better, and it showed on the field. "He was a certainly a great player, but more importantly was a great per- son," Kennedy said. "He's a kid that honestly, in my coaching career, I don't know if I've had someone improve as much on and off the field as he did." After seeing the field as a junior in 2014 but not find- ing a ton of success, Turner worked hard in the offsea- son and in practice to become a better all-around athlete. This past season as a senior Turner exploded for 1,045 yards and 17 touch- downs on the ground. He led the run game as Central went 7-0 in the Greater Metro Conference, winning the conference title outright for the first time since 2006. "When you do this (coach), you see things click for different kids at differ- ent times," Kennedy said. "We knew Malik had the athletic ability to be really good, but he struggled as a junior. It really began click- ing with him in the offsea- son. He never missed a workout and always put in the extra time. When you saw that, you just knew that it was going to carry over to a great season. "He was special. There were very few nights where he wasn't the best player on the field." Everywhere he seemed to go it was the same smile; the same mile-long grin that kept Turner's teammates at ease. "I'll always remember his smile," Central senior defensive back Joe DuBois said. "In games I could see him smiling through his facemask. He was always smiling, even at school. He always had that goofy smile." DuBois recalled that dur- ing practices, Turner would often joke with teammates. He said you'd be hard- pressed to find Turner with- out his signature sweatshirt on. "He'd practice in sweat- shirts when it was 75 (degrees) out," DuBois said. "He was always a joy to be around. He made practice fun." Understandably, the day at Central was especially somber. The outpouring of emotion and stories of Turner brought back fond memories, ones those close to him will not soon forget. "(That) was a tough day for all involved," Kennedy said. "The kids handled it about as well as I expected. You can really see the amount of people Malik had impacted in his life." Kennedy added he's proud of the way students, team- mates and teachers have handled the situation and expects them to get through this together. "A lot of great things hap- pen when you're part of a football program and some- times there's bad things that happen. This is as low as it gets," Kennedy said. "But we have to stick together and help each other out." Labellarte said he'll never forget the kind of athlete, person and friend Turner was. "I'm going to miss him," Labellarte said. "He'll be my running back for the rest of my life." Email: cbucher@conleynet.com Page 4B • Freeman Brookfield & Elm Grove FEBRUARY 2016 18 Full-size Doors On Display, Our Installers Are Licensed & Bonded 16'x7', 25 Gauge...Non Insulated Steel $ 725 Lifetime Door Co. 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