The Livingston High School football team will honor a former player who died trying to save a friend from drowning.

The team will hold Matthew Poole’s jersey at midfield during the coin toss of each game this season as a tribute to their fallen teammate.

Poole would have been a senior this school year but died in early August. Poole, 18, and 17-year old Isabella Brodsky were with a group of friends swimming in Ramapo Lake. The water became rough and Brodsky started to struggle. Friends say that Poole jumped in to save her, but both were pulled under and drowned.

Poole’s teammates say that now they will always have an angel on their side to look after them.

“Being able to take his jersey out with us. You know he’s watching us this year, so we’re just going to go out there and play for him every game,” says senior tight end Drew Nardone.

“It makes it harder, but I know that every game and every moment that we’re in school and on the field he’s going to be watching over us,” senior receiver Marco Fusari says.

The team will also wear helmet stickers to honor Poole and Brodsky.