Jemison High School head basketball coach mourns death of player

Theft.

Tonight -- a community continues to mourn the death of 17-year-old deu'nta moore.

He died saturday morning after being shot the night before.

Waay 31's grace campbell spoke with someone who saw a little bit of himself in moore.

Grace?

Ralpheal graves is the head coach for jemison high school's basketball team.

He told me deu-nta or better known as poodaroo was the heart of jemison, so he's having a very tough time, but he's putting on his game face so he can be the support system poodaroos teammates need.

Ralpheal graves, head coach: "i'm only doing well because i know i have to be strong for others."

Ralpheal graves met moore when he became has been the head basketball coach at jemison high school one year ago.

He says his confidence and courage radiated off of him.

"he had a little bit of what everybody lacked.

So, if you were a friend and you lacked confidence, he had it.

If you were a friend and you lacked confidence, he had it, and it rubbed off on you."

Moore even had an impact on graves' family.

He calls his son poodaroo.

"they were like, 'why'd you name your son after him?'

And i was like, 'because like, i wanted my son to be just like that.'" graves says moore offered so much not only to his team, but to the whole world.

He says nobody can compare.

"i think we'll be foolish to actually try and really replace that because you're going to be looking for something that you can't get."

Graves said he was excited to watch poodaroo grow up and become an even better man.

He said that would have been the best championship win he could imagine.

Reporting in huntsville, grace campbell waay 31 news.

Saturday -- a 20-year-old turned himself in for the murder of 17-year-old deu'nta moore.

Huntsville police said ke'ondrey mcguire turned himself in after investigators said he shot moore in the 1500 block of ascent trail.

Mcguire is in the madison county jail facing a charge