EDINBURG — The loudest thing at McAllen High School Wednesday evening, aside from the wind, was the silence.
Hundreds of students and parents and staff were there, quietly gathered around the big “M,” to remember Moira Claire Arney, a 15-year-old incoming McHi sophomore who died at a soccer practice in Edinburg Tuesday.
Moira’s father is McHi girls soccer coach Patrick Arney. Her mother, Deborah, is the English language arts department chair there and her brother, Liam, is a senior.
Classmates walked up to the base of the “M” Wednesday to lay bundles of flowers at its base. They wilted quickly in the sun, and occasionally a bouquet would start to blow off before a mourner caught it and gently laid it back among the rest.
The silence was really only broken at the base of that M when Moira’s brother Liam sobbed with friends, kneeling for a few minutes in front of the flowers.
Liam sobbed for the better part of half-an-hour, remembering his sister— “Mo” to her friends. No one could quite figure out how to say Moira, he said.
Friends embraced him, and placed their hands on his shoulders while he sobbed.
“She had so much going for her, and I guess all I ask is love everyone around you,” Liam said later in the ceremony.
Moira was remembered in particular for having so much going for her. She had plans. She was going to change the world.
An athlete and a scholar, Moira certainly had the resume of someone who was going to do it. She was involved in athletics and sports and her church. She was described as a hard-worker, a joyful soul and an ethical spirit.
Moira, to her friends and family, was a ray of light.
“She would be so proud of all of you,” her friend, Stevie Rogers, told the crowd. “She was so passionate about so many things, and she gave everything her all. I know everything about her, and she never did one bad thing.”
A fundraiser organized for the teenager to accept meals and donations for her family had netted over $12,000 by Wednesday evening. That fundraiser is available at https://mealtrain.com/yemwre .
“Again, words cannot express the depth of this tragedy. We are a close-knit family at McHi and our heartfelt condolences go out to the Arney family at this most difficult time,” a letter from the district reads. “We appreciate everyone’s prayers and support.”
Luis Gutierrez, RGV FC Toros Youth Academy Club administrator, confirmed a death had occurred Tuesday but declined to elaborate.
“We were there, but we’re not at liberty to discuss information until the family gives permission to do so,” he said.
A statement from RGV FC Toros explains that the soccer club is not affiliated with the academy, which is a separate entity.
“Though the team uses our name, the RGV FC Toros, our soccer club is not affiliated with the Academy,” the statement reads. “As part of our commitment to the community and its youth, we allow the team to use our Club name, at no cost, but they remain their own separate entity, governed by their own board.”
The statement says the death occurred at an academy practice field and not on the grounds of H-E-B Park.
“It has come to our attention that a young lady collapsed yesterday at soccer practice while training with the Toros Academy, and later passed,” it reads. “Our hearts go out to her family, friends, and loved ones during this difficult time, and we join them in mourning their great loss.”
Monitor Sports Editor Henry Miller contributed to this report.
