By Joshua Needelman; WASHINGTON POST

Not 48 hours had passed since Andre Whitehead had attended his aunt’s funeral, so after the Theodore Roosevelt senior hauled in the game-sealing, eight-yard touchdown late in Saturday’s Gravy Bowl game against Bell, he pointed to the sky.

“She helped me catch it,” Whitehead said.

Despite his grief, Whitehead said he never considered sitting out the D.C. Interscholastic Athletic Association Stripes Division championship. His team had already been through so much. Days before the season, a hazing scandal rocked the program and resulted in Coach Chris Harden’s suspension.

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