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Emotional vigil for Mervo Football player Elijah Gorham

Emotional vigil for Mervo Football player Elijah Gorham
Posted at 9:59 PM, Oct 14, 2021
and last updated 2021-10-14 23:12:21-04

BALTIMORE — On the football field 17-year-old Elijah Gorham wowed crowds.

On Thursday night, friends and family came to the field to cheer him on as he watched from heaven.

His friends and family say he was a bright light in this world.

You could see just how loved he was by looking at the crowd that gathered at Mervo's football field.

“He’s a team leader, he’s his brothers keeper,” his mother Shantres Shaw said. “He encourages them. He’s Elijah, he’s just going to missed.”

Number 7 was the heart of his school and team.

His parents will carry on their sons legacy.

“I’m going to carry his legacy with me forever. I’m going to make sure that whatever I can do to help young kids in sports, as far as making sure the right things are in place to help them out, that’s what I’m going to do,” his father James Gorham said.

The entire city is mourning the loss as hundreds came out for a candle light vigil for the schools star wide receiver.

“He was like a little brother to me,” his teammate Kylish Hicks said. “As annoying as he was I never would have thought the Mervo and Dunbar game would be last time speaking or playing with hims. If I could tell him one more thing before he left it would be thank you. Thank you for being so determined and calling me to run the next play even when I didn’t feel like it.”

Elijah had scored two touchdowns this season and was going for a third when he was injured.

He fought hard at the hospital but eventually died from the injury.

Gorham was heading to college and had a passion for photography.

“All you could ask for in a friend for real,” said his teammate Dearndre Ferguson. “Elijah was a calm person and genuine full of love. He was always playing. I’m truly going to miss you my guy.”

A GoFundMe has been set up for the family and a memorial scholarship in his name. Click here for more information.