By Patrick Crowley
The Cincinnati Enquirer

EDGEWOOD - Ken and Pam Moorhead will never forget their son, David. And neither will future generations of students, teachers, staff, ballplayers and members at St. Pius X church.

Around 7:30 p.m. Friday, during a sixth-grade tournament already named in his memory, David's framed basketball jersey will be unveiled to the crowd. Eventually, No. 34 will hang in the school's new gym, but never again will a St. Pius Panther wear it.

"It's quite a tribute," Ken Moorhead said, "remembering our son in that kind of fashion. It would have meant a lot to him.

"It sure means a lot to us."

It was nearly nine years ago on the Monday before Thanksgiving that David, at the time a sixth-grade student, left basketball practice and walked outside the school gym. His father, who was also the coach, stayed behind for a few minutes to collect the balls and close the gym.

As Moorhead walked into an entryway he saw his son lying on the ground. He thought the boy was playing a joke.

"He never had any signs of sickness, no problems at all," Moorhead said Tuesday.

But David had collapsed and died of cardiomyopathy, a fatal heart condition known as a "silent killer." A number of well-known athletes - including Boston Celtics star Reggie Lewis and Loyola Marymount player Eric "Hank" Gathers - also collapsed and died from the ailment that is aggravated by vigorous exercise.

"It seems every year you see or hear of a young athlete dying on a ball field from the same condition my son had," Moorhead said. "I know what those families are going through. It's tough."

This is the eighth year for the David Moorhead Memorial Tournament. The money raised has funded 14, $1,000 scholarships for St. Pius graduates who attend Covington Catholic or Notre Dame Academy high schools in Park Hills.

Pam Moorhead is the St. Pius librarian. Ken Moorhead said the family became involved with the tournament and scholarship program "because we wanted to do something to honor David's memory, but we also wanted to give something back to St. Pius."

"The people here are unbelievable," Moorhead said. "People who never even knew David, and people who don't even have kids, get involved and make this happen. It was a tragedy what happened, but at least something good came out of it."

The school's athletic association, particularly Ralph Bradburn and Mark Wehry, led the effort to retire David's jersey. They will do the same next week for Elana Brophy, a St. Pius third-grader who died 18 months ago of cancer.

"The athletic association is committed to keeping their memories alive," Wehry said. "So their jerseys will be hanging side-by-side in the foyer of the new gym. It's will be a nice tribute. We just hope and pray we never have to do it again."

E-mail pcrowley@enquirer.com