When Decatur’s middle school football teams took the field this year, they did so despite a gut wrenching absence — the unworn No. 11 jersey. On Saturday, the program faced the unimaginable a second time, coming to terms with the reality that the player who wore the Decatur-blue No. 4 jersey would never take the field again, too.
No. 4, Treb McKinnon, a running back and safety for the seventh-grade team, died Nov. 29. His death comes just months after the loss of No. 11, Nolan Christensen, a ball carrier and linebacker, who died June 16.
Treb McKinnon (left) and Nolan Christensen (right)
They were both 13.
Treb was a seventh grader at McCarroll Middle School; Nolan would have entered eighth grade this fall.
These two middle schoolers shared more in common in life — from their competitive spirit, athletic gifts and a magnetism that made other kids follow their lead, according to those who knew them.
Treb and Nolan played the same position on offense for their respective middle school teams. And after a season of witnessing Treb’s fearless ability to crash down and initiate contact, his coaches planned to move him to linebacker — the same position Nolan played.
While similar, each were one of a kind. Nolan liked to hunt with his dad. Treb was more of a fisherman. Still, both exuded so much life that their deaths felt impossible to those who knew and loved them.
The marquee sign on the Decatur Square left a simple message this week; “Live Like Treb.” AUSTIN JACKSON | WCMESSENGER
But it did happen: Twice in 166 days.
Earlier this week, after leaving the hospital, the McKinnon family was handed that No. 4 Decatur football jersey.
It was framed, folded, sealed and No. 4 was immortalized.
Middle school coaches rarely retire numbers. It’s a situation and logistical challenge that most are lucky enough to avoid.
But, as far as McCarroll Middle School boys athletics coordinator Bryan Chaney is concerned, no seventh grader will wear No. 4 again, just as no eighth grader will wear No. 11.
Those jerseys and numbers mean more now.
Pictures of Nolan Christensen in his No. 11 jersey and Sophia Christensen in her cross country uniform were displayed at their funeral in June 2025. The siblings were both standout athletes and students at Decatur ISD. FILE | WCMESSENGER
When Chaney walked into the school Monday morning, knowing what awaited him on the other side of those doors, he tried to be a little bit like No. 4, gathering courage to face dozens of kids whose world was suddenly flipped upside down — again.
During his athletics period Monday afternoon, he searched for the right words. The school, the team and those who knew Treb are heartbroken.
And words can only do so much.
“The boys are struggling,” Chaney said. “It’s hard — hard on all of us. It’s hard for me to process as an adult, and I can’t imagine going through this as a kid.”
No. 11
While Treb’s identity was rooted in football, Nolan’s main sports were track and cross country.
Decatur students Sophia Christensen and Nolan Christensen together at a cross country meet. CHANCI NICKS | FOR THE MESSENGER
It helped that he was really fast.
Nolan was the district champion in the 800 meters and part of a record-setting 4×400 relay team. He also helped his cross-country squad win a district title.
In addition to his speed, he was also known for his smile.
“Nolan was the kid who literally knew how to light up a room,” middle school teacher Kimberly Naumann said earlier this summer. “Goofy as could be, but you could never get mad at him. He would ‘yes ma’am’ you to death and then show you that smile of his and you couldn’t help but laugh. He was everyone’s best friend and the kid who made sure no one was left out. If you knew him then your life was just a little more blessed than it was before.”
In June, Nolan died alongside his sister, Sophie, after their car was T-boned while pulling onto U.S. 380 one Monday morning. They were heading to cross country practice that day.
The memorial at the intersection east of Decatur is a reminder of where a family lost two children, and where dozens of little football players and other athletes lost a brother they planned to grow up with.
A resident of Wagon Trails Estates near Decatur places a wreath in memory of Sophia and Nolan Christensen at a memorial at the entrance to the neighborhood. AUSTIN JACKSON | WCMESSENGER
No. 4
Nolan and Sophia’s death over the summer left a wound. Treb’s death hit before it had time to heal.
Treb McKinnon
On Saturday, Treb was riding in a side-by-side ATV with some buddies. They wrecked around 4:30 p.m. in the 300 block of County Road 3250.
Despite lifesaving efforts at the scene and at Medical City Decatur — where an emergency room quickly became packed by dozens of people praying for a miracle — Treb died from his injuries.
When you look back at his 13 years, Treb’s love of football stands out.
He was determined to play college football at Ohio State. No one tapped the brakes on Treb’s dream after watching how hard he worked and how he played the game.
Treb’s intensity and fearlessness were already evident when he showed up to his first McCarroll Middle School football practice, Chaney said. He was a good athlete. But there was more to it.
“There was something different in his eyes,” said. “The way he initiated contact — he was fearless. When he hit, it was different. There was ferocity about him.”
And it didn’t take long for Chaney to realize that Treb was the best player on the seventh-grade team, the coach said.
To put it simply, Treb was special.
“I couldn’t wait to see him grow up,” Chaney added.
His uncle, Cal White, wrote publicly about the void Treb leaves, one that’s felt by his son, Ryett, who was Treb’s first best friend.
White said Treb will never be forgotten.
“Every time we step on a ballfield — there [Treb] will be,” White wrote. “Every time the stadium lights flip on — there you will be. Every family get-together. Every moment we can — you will be remembered. It’s hard to imagine this life without you in it… I know you are flying high in heaven, and I know you are breaking ankles on that football field in the sky.”
A presence, and absence, still felt
Treb never got the opportunity to chase his dream of playing for the Buckeyes. But the impact he made — and the overwhelming support shown in the days since his death — may help other kids chase their own.
A scholarship fund, the Treb McKinnon Scholarship Foundation, has been established at TexasBank in Decatur. It’s just part of the legacy left behind by No. 4 and No. 11 — two special 13-year-olds who warmed and broke the hearts of an entire community.
On Friday, Treb will be laid to rest, with several of his teammates serving as honorary pallbearers.
To their coach, Treb and Nolan’s absence is felt in the same unmistakable way as when they were alive.
Deeply.
“When No. 11 was in a room, you knew. When No. 4 was on the field, you knew,” Chaney said.
“… We miss them.”
Funeral information
Funeral service for Treb McKinnon is 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 5, at First Baptist Church Decatur, with burial to follow at Oaklawn Cemetery. Family will receive friends 6–8 p.m. Thursday, at First Baptist Church Decatur.
Donations may be made in Treb’s memory to the Treb McKinnon Scholarship Foundation at Texas Bank in Decatur.
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