The Glendale Deer Valley High School community is grieving the loss of junior football player Baxter Floyd, who died on Aug. 10. He was 16. Details of his death were not provided. School officials forwarded inquiries to the Deer Valley Unified School District, which provided a statement to the media: "DVUSD and the Deer Valley High School community ask for privacy as they grieve the loss of a member of their community. Support is available for students and staff during this difficult time."
Deer Valley football posted a tribute on its Instagram page on Baxter, saying, "Baxter was more than a teammate and more than #33. He was a son, a friend, a brother, a Skyhawk, and a part of this football family. "His presence, his smile, his spirit, and the memories created with his teammates will forever be carried in the hearts of everyone who knew and loved him," it continued to read. "Right now, our hearts are with Baxter's family, his friends, his coaches, his teammates, and every person whose life he touched. In the days and weeks ahead, we will stand together, hold our boys a little tighter, and surround one another with all the love and support that we can." Floyd was listed as a running back/defensive back on last year's Deer Valley varsity roster on MaxPreps. He appeared in two games. Deer Valley went 6-5 last year. The Skyhawks open the season on Aug. 28 at Peoria.
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don't miss a thing. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Deer Valley High football mourning death of 16-year-old player