Trinity, North Carolina is mourning the death of Jace Penny, a former Wheatmore Warriors athlete who passed away on June 13, 2026, at the age of 19.
Penny was remembered by the Wheatmore Warriors Athletic Booster Club as one of their own, and tributes have quickly poured in from family, friends, teammates and members of the local basketball community.
The booster club shared the news with heavy hearts, writing,
“With heavy hearts we mourn the loss of one of our very own former Warriors, Jace Penny. We send our prayers, condolences, and love to all of his family and friends.”
Penny’s death has left a painful gap in the Trinity community, where he was known through sports and through the people who watched him grow up.
He played football and was also part of the basketball scene, becoming a familiar name to those around Wheatmore athletics.
His passing has hit especially hard because so many people saw him not just as an athlete, but as a young man with a strong presence and a good heart.
One of the most personal tributes came from Robert Penny, who wrote, “I love you soooo much baby boy.”
That short message captured the kind of grief that has spread through the family and the wider community.
Others responded with prayers and memories of a young man who left a strong impression.
Curtis Spence wrote, “Jace been around the basketball scene for years as I was just getting started. I hate this for the family and our community.”
Chris Justice said, “Man, I just dont understand it. He was such a great kid. Always had a smile on his face.”
Many more comments followed in the same spirit, with people offering condolences, love and support to the family.
Some called him “an amazing young man,” while others said they could not believe the news. The reaction showed how widely Penny was loved and how deeply his loss is being felt around Trinity.
A former Warrior remembered beyond the field
For Wheatmore supporters, Penny’s death is more than a sad announcement. It is the loss of someone connected to the school’s sports community, someone who carried the Warriors name and stayed part of the local basketball scene.
His ties to football and basketball made him a familiar face in the area, and his passing has brought together people from both sports communities in grief.
His life was rooted in Trinity, North Carolina, where he lived and where so many of the tributes are now coming from.
The community response has shown just how many people knew him or knew of him through sports, school and family connections.
While the family has not shared full funeral details in the material available here, the message from those close to him has been clear: Jace Penny was loved, he mattered, and he will not be forgotten.
The comments under the announcement have continued to fill with prayers, heartbreak and offers of support.
People called him a sweet kid, a good young man and someone who always seemed to carry himself with kindness. Others simply wrote that they were sorry for the family’s loss and praying for strength.
That flood of support is now part of Jace Penny’s story. It shows how one young life can touch a whole community, especially in a place where sports, family and school are so closely connected.
For Trinity and Wheatmore, the loss of Jace Penny is being felt everywhere. He was a former Warrior, a football player, a basketball presence, a son and a friend. Now, he is being remembered with love by the people who knew him best.
