Tamonta Hill (Courtesy Photo)

FLINT, MI -- Luther Brown has been slow to respond to certain phone calls and text messages this week.

Kearsley athletic director Paul Gaudard knows exactly why and is expressing sympathy for his head wrestling coach – even during a week as busy as this one.

“He had a close family friend pass away, so he may be tied up with that,” Guadard said, via text message. “Let me know if you don’t hear back.”

The Hornets are in the spotlight as the MLive Team of the Week for Feb. 6-11.

On Wednesday evening, the back-to-back Flint Metro League champions will travel to St. Johns for the MHSAA Team Districts then will compete at the MHSAA Individual Districts at Gaylord on Saturday.

However, life is more important.

On Monday, Feb. 6, Brown's close friend Tamonta Hill died suddenly at 28-years-old. Hill was a standout athlete at Flint Central who wrestled and made All-City for football and baseball. He also was active on the youth wrestling scene. Funeral arrangements for Hill are incomplete at this time, according to the Sheldon T. Banks Funeral Chapel.

At Tuesday’s practice, Brown had the hard job of delivering the news to his team. He refused to go into detail about his death with the media, but many of the wrestlers on the Kearsley roster were familiar with him.

“He’s been involved in wrestling for a while as one of the better referees,” Brown said. “He’s also a big supporter of just youth in general, so it’s a big loss for all of us.”

“We informed the team of his passing away and encouraged them to remember the good times that they had with him and if they could reach out to the family to say hello to show him some support.”

As the wrestling community continues to mourn his death, it would be easy for Kearsley to use that as motivation but Brown wants to be careful about going that route.

“It could, but I don’t want that to be our motivation,” Brown said. “I would rather our motivation be our team goals, but if it’s going to help give us that spark we need then we will take it.

“But I try not to do that because that emotion sometimes can swing the other way,” he explained. “You can use that emotion for motivation but someone can hit that mental wall where sadness takes over and now it’s no longer motivation but it becomes a roadblock.”

Kearsley is currently 26-6 overall with key wrestlers such as Zach Elizondo, Andy Ruhstorfer, Malik Davis, Dylan Terrence, Brandon Byczynski, Reese Harburn and Marcus Moss leading the charge.

Terrence is ranked No. 2 in the 160-pound weight class for Division 2, according to michigangrappler.com. Elizondo was also named the Kiwanis Flint Metro League Scholar-Athlete of the Month for February.

Terrence was one of four individuals who took first place over the weekend as Kearsley captured Saturday's Flint Metro League tournament with 158 points.

Terrence won at 160 and Moss won at 285 with Elizondo winning at 119 and Davis at 152. Getting the underclassmen to come around is now the biggest concern as the team enters this crucial stretch.

The last thing Brown wants is for Hill’s death to become the team’s downfall.

“We’re starting six freshmen and because we start six freshmen, we’re trying to keep everything in balance to where you can keep them mentally engaged for the entire season which is delicate,” Brown said.

“It’s not always easy to keep them engaged, but that’s been our biggest goal and focus.”