There was an extra hand on Kyle Rembert’s jersey in the Mount St. Michael locker room.
Rembert’s father, Tommie, addressed the team following its 28-21 win over visiting St. Francis Prep in the CHSFL Class AA semifinals Sunday afternoon and was holding a piece of his son’s jersey as the team broke the huddle.
It was the second straight playoff game won by the Mountaineers since his son’s death of carbon monoxide leak as a result of a problem with the boiler at his grandmother’s Bronx home on Nov. 3.
“I just told them good game and that my son was proud of them,” said Tommie Rembert, who attended the tilt with a group of family members.
He said the team’s support has helped with the healing process. The players all had a sticker with Rembert’s number on the back of their helmets. Some had it painted on their faces, others written on wristbands, sneakers or towels.
“It helps a lot,” Tommie Rembert said. “It’s really tough with any family member that you lose, especially it being your child. It’s hard to deal with, but when you see those guys out there giving their all and celebrating him like this, it means a lot.”
So did him taking the time to show up to the game and talk to the team afterward.
Tommie Rembert, who works most weekends, said his son, a junior running back, was playing without him knowing the last few weeks. Kyle hurt his shoulder early in the season and told his father he was going to games to give support from the sidelines.
“I didn’t find out until after the fact when I saw news footage on the Internet of him catching touchdowns,” he said,
That was the type of energy Rembert brought to the team. He always stayed positive, even as Mount struggled early in the season.
