SALINA, Okla. -- Eighteen-year-old Autumn Seely is one of five NSU students killed in crash south of Tahlequah on Sunday, Friday her hometown of Salina remembered her for the passionate Wildcat she was.
The Friday night lights shine a little brighter on Salina High School's football field.
“I just knew that she was very loved. Everyone loved her," said Salina sophomore Trinity Payne.
With the help of the town's newest angel.
“She took a lot of pride in being a Wildcat fan," said Autumn's teacher and Athletic Director Casey Brown.
Before the game starts, the announcers praying for her family, and that she rest in peace.
“We just really want to honor Autumn because she was more school spirit than anything," said Salina sophomore Marissa Rutherford.
All of the empty spaces in the bleachers fill up, except for the one reserved for Autumn.
Her classmates are let her know that she's still there with them, as they release balloons while wearing the black bandana she never went to a game without.
"She would love it. She would be so happy that everyone came together to remember her," one classmate said.
Autumn went to Salina Public Schools for 12 years, and friends said she never missed the opportunity to sit on the sidelines and cheer on her Wildcats.
"She's still a wildcat. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat," a classmate said.
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