At noon today, 16-year-old Independence High junior Zachary Hodges will attend his mother's funeral at University Park Baptist Church.

At 7 tonight, Hodges, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound defensive end, plans to play in the Patriots' football game at West Charlotte.

“I put a lot into the program,” he said, “and football is where I don't have to worry about anything else. It's helped me cope with all this.”

Hodges' mother, Barbara Simpson, died suddenly last weekend of a massive stroke. His father died of a brain tumor when Zachary was six years old. Hodges, an only child, has at least temporarily moved in with a neighbor he met by once asking if he could cut Chris Kinney's grass.

Kinney's family, like the Independence family, is doing everything they can to help him.

“I remember when Zach was knocking on our front door for the first time,” Kinney said. “Our families got close. He would watch our dog when we went out of town. And right now, it's a tough situation, but he's been pretty resilient.”

Kinney said he is not surprised that Hodges plans to play.

“Football means so much to him,” Kinney said, “and he's worked so hard for it, and it keeps his mind off everything.”

Hodges isn't sure if he'll be able to finish the year in Charlotte. His aunt and grandmother live in Atlanta. Efforts to reach them were unsuccessful.

Independence principal Mark Bosco said the school created a trust fund for Hodges, calling him an “unbelievable kid.”

“He's got an old soul,” Bosco said. “He's very mature for his age and he carries himself with a dignity you don't see very often. There's a clarity to his goals that makes you just wish you could do whatever you can for the kid. That's why this whole community is willing to wrap their arms around him.

“This is a kid who worked really hard to get where he is, academically, athletically and everything else. And his mother did everything she could do to put him in that position.”

Hodges' mother was a longtime custodian at Providence Springs Elementary. She left the school for a short time before returning this fall to work as an after-school associate. Like Independence, Providence Springs is trying to help raise funds for Hodges, and Providence Springs principal Diane Adams said his mother will be dearly missed.

“She came back here because she missed being around children,” Adams said. “She's always been a delightful person. She's a good teacher. She always focused on what was best for the children. Every day, she would come in with a little prize or activity or a story for the kids.

“It was something the kids looked forward to as they left regular class and went to afterschool.”

At Independence, Hodges surprised coach Tom Knotts this year. He became the team's top defensive player after playing junior varsity last season.

“It's an effort thing,” Knotts said, “and he's like a sponge. Everything you tell him, he soaks it up. He was our game captain for our first game (against Olympic) and we decided on captains based on performance.”

When Knotts found out about Hodges' mother passing Saturday, he stopped by a Bojangles' and took plenty of chicken dinners to help the family. Then he took Hodges out for the afternoon, to give his family time to work out details and to let him unwind.

“It's a sad situation,” Knotts said, “but it seems like everybody wants to step up to the plate and he's worthy of that. He's a yes-sir, no-sir kind of kid; just the kind of kid you want to do well.”

Hodges said he'll need all his friends support today. He talked about how his teammates, especially junior varsity player Javari Cuffie, have been there for him, visiting him at the hospital and at home, bringing food or just offering hugs.

He said he couldn't have made it through this without them. And tonight, he wants to line up beside them: to say thanks, to honor his mother – and because he just wants to play so much.

“The funeral today is the scariest thing,” he said. “I just want to get through it and then go try to be with my teammates (tonight). They mean a lot to me and I'll never forget how they've helped me.”