Trevor Stone Retires from “Flying D Flag Boy”

Deckerville and football go hand in hand, and the community has always rallied around it. For those that attend the varsity games, the “flag boy” has been a very familiar face on the field.
Trevor Stone, a 2006 graduate of Deckerville Schools, has been running the sidelines of the football field for approximately 16 years, carrying the Flying D flag, for all of the Eagle touchdowns. As the regular season runs down (last regular game is this Thursday at Peck), Stone’s time as flag boy is also coming to an end. Stone carried the flag at the homecoming game this past Friday, the last regular home game, and his last time to run on the home field (unless the Eagles get homefield advantage in the playoffs). Trevor has missed very few games – a few because of work, Covid, and in the 2022 season when he only ran once because of injuries sustained in a 4-wheeler accident when he broke his back and left wrist. He has decided to hang up the flag, as his daughter, Megan, attends Sandusky Schools, and will be a freshman next year. She is in the marching band, and he wants to be able to support her. He said, “I have always supported my kids in everything they choose to do and this is one of them. Megan plans on being a band teacher one day and the support we give her pushes her dream more.” He added, “After her four years, I’ll be 40 years old so I don’t know what my body will let me do at that point.”
Although Stone didn’t play football, he always wanted to. But, he couldn’t keep his grades in a spot to stay eligible. In his senior year, he was able to earn 13 credits in order to graduate. He said, “I ran track my 11th and 12th grade year for Coach Scott Long, Coach Long was instrumental in the reason why I run as much as I do. I did play trumpet in the Marching Band so I was always on the football field that way.”
Eddie Fury, who was announcing the Deckerville 2012 State Championship game, was the first one to call Stone the “Deckerville Flag Boy”. Trevor said, “Other than us winning the State Championship in 2012, I’d say the only other time I raced so fast down the line with the flag, I pulled a hamstring around the 50 yard line and hit the ground in pain, but that did not stop me. In pain, I got up pulled the flag back off the ground and finished the run. I never knew, but when I did get hurt that game Coach Blashill said he was in the press box talking with Coach Dan Brown and yelled “ he’s down, he’s down”. Dan was looking for a player, until he was told it was the Flag Boy on the ground.”
He added, “That’s why I do what I do – in part, these young men are out there everyday to play the game, hard weather at times, teams bigger and stronger as well, but as a team they keep digging to overcome what is in front of them. At 36 years old now, I prove to them never to back down and keep pushing.”
Is someone going to step up and take his place? Trevor said, “As of right now there is no one willing to step up. Over the years many have joked, some have tried, but we will see if anyone steps up. I’d love to see it continue. However, the cape will need to be remade – I’ll be framing that for sure.”
When asked if it was going to be hard to give it up, he replied, “Hard? I don’t feel that starts to describe that rush of emotions behind this choice. It seems like every year there is 1 or 2 players that stand out and makes an impact on me or I make on them. I will run Thursday in Peck and the playoffs as well, so I’m limited – my runs down the football field are coming near to the end.”
Bill Brown said, “Trevor has done a fantastic job for us over the years. He’s helped pump the crowd up and our players for many years. He has ran many yards up and down or side lines and we appreciate everything he’s done for the program and for our kids and community”.
He commented on some of the former football players:
Willy Stolicker was one of the first players I feel that he would do whatever he could. He would always be supportive of what I was doing or asking questions of what I was seeing on the field he could fix.
Ryan Stone – Okay, yes he’s my cousin, but every time he got a breakaway run he would look towards me, me running my arms in circles, saying “run, run, run, no one is around you”.
Ethan Bowerman was a very respectful young man, him and his group started always saying “yes sir”.
Jeff Stone, nope not relation, but he has kinda been like a kid brother to me along with Trevor Osborne as well.
Travis and Justin Trigger known as the the “Trigger Trap” displayed way more leadership than I’ve seen in many years.
This year, I can’t single out just one player – these young men work, play, and respect each other and everyone like a big family, its one of the few teams over the years that has that spark.
Trevor said, “Foremost I would like thank my wife (Mary-Lynne) and kids, (Megan, 13 and Nolan, 9) that have allowed me to step away a few hours a week over the last 16 years to support Deckerville Football. Thanks to the great community of Deckerville that has always accepted the Flag Boy. To all players past and present, Thank You for the years and years of Deckerville Football that made it so much fun win or lose it was always fun. I sat down and added up all the points scored since I started to this past week, I’ve ran around 900 times down the field every time Deckerville scored a touchdown. To the coaching staff of our football program over the years thank you so much for the dedication that you put into the young players in Deckerville. Thank you to Coach Bill Brown and Coach Dan Brown (relatives), it allowed me to spend more time with them, as we all know family comes first and the Deckerville Football team/teams are and always will be a part of my family.”
“All and all, I’ll always be forever an Eagles fan! I enjoy seeing the success that our small community school has. It’s not only Deckerville football, but all sports. Over the years we as Deckerville, impact the State of Michigan with lots of talent in not only football, but volleyball, softball, track, cross county, and the rest that Deckerville High School has to offer.”