By Betty Gandee

Alex Miller was doing what he loved on Friday, Sept. 13, when the unthinkable happened.

He had taken the field with his teammates to play long time football rivals, The Clay County Panthers, when in the beginning of the second quarter he collapsed and passed away.  This tragic event left not only the local communities but the entire state of West Virginia to mourn the loss of this active 17-year-old from Roane County.

This heartbreaking incident was hard to grasp, and as West Virginians tend to do, they banded together from all across the state to show their support for Alex and his family.

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, a “maroon out” was conducted, urging schools and business to wear maroon and silver to show their respects for the young man.  As pictures began to flood social media, the outpouring of support and love shown made you proud to be from the great state of West Virginia.  Students of various schools, employees of local business, emergency responders, family, and friends proudly wore their Roane Raider colors and displayed #80 to honor Miller.

Services were held for Miller at the Roane County High School on Saturday, Sept. 21, at 4 p.m. He was cremated and his ashes will be buried at a later date in the Short Cemetery, Boggs Fork.