In Memoriam

The Senior Issue was designed to create a place for the memories and best times of the Senior Class. This is likely one of the most exciting times of our lives thus far, yet we can’t go on without remembering the beloved friends we’ve lost.

Brandon Stambaugh and Gracie Arriola will always be remembered by Dallastown for their smiling faces, for their outgoing personalities, and for being two of the best friends you could ever hope to have. This section of the senior issue will serve as a tribute to their lives, which were taken from us too soon.

Brandon Stambaugh

On September 2, 2018, the Class of 2022 was forever altered as we lost one of our own, Brandon Stambaugh. Brandon grew up in Dallastown, starting in elementary school at York Township. He played football for the Dallastown Cougars, and basketball for the Dallastown Youth Basketball Organization and then went on to play for the Dallastown travel team. He furthered his basketball career by playing AAU basketball with the PA Rens for five years. In middle school, he played football and basketball.

Along with that, Brandon participated in track; his main event being discus. This was especially supported by his mom, who has been a throwing coach at York Suburban for the past 8 years.  Being both athletically and musically talented, he also was a part of the chorus and concert choir. Before his passing, Brandon made the 9th-grade football team. 

Brandon left behind his mother, Lori, father, Josh, and younger brother, Cameron, a current sophomore at Dallastown. As long-time sports fans and Dallastown supporters, Brandon’s family showed up to every single football and basketball game since his passing. Brandon’s teammates were not just his friends, but his family, and his passing forever altered the team. “The team atmosphere changed without his presence,” teammate Kerry McWilliams said.

Despite not having Brandon with them on the court/ field, the team always felt extremely supported knowing that the Stambaughs were still there to cheer them on. Senior, Dylan Lease, played Cougar football with Brandon from a very early age.

“His mom would always call us two peas in a pod,” Lease said. Knowing that the Stambaughs have been there with the team over the past three years gave Lease and his teammates “something to play for.”

Having the Stambaugh’s in the stands over the last three years has not been the only way that the class has been able to honor and remember Brandon.

Shortly after his passing in 2018, senior Langley Brockway found a way to honor and remember Brandon at our Freshman homecoming.  Brockway created hundreds of blue ribbons, decorated with a “B” to be worn at the homecoming football game and dance, in his memory.

Although he could not be physically present with us, these ribbons were a large reminder that he was, and will forever be with us through all major milestones. This year, Brockway created new ribbons for our senior homecoming. This time orange, but again decorated with a “B”.

Brandon’s parents also created a scholarship in his name: The Brandon Stambaugh Memorial Athletic Scholarship. The scholarship is in the amount of $1,425; 14 being his football number and 25 being his basketball number.

The award is meant to be given to someone who displayed the same characteristics and involvement in school as Brandon did. The scholarship recipient must be a 3-year Dallastown varsity athlete, display the characteristics of respectable, coachable, having a team-first attitude, and must be committed to their sports. Consideration is especially given to athletes who have also demonstrated musical involvement at Dallastown.

The scholarship was first awarded in 2020, with the first recipient being 2020 graduate, Garrett Zeigler. Last year it was 2021 graduate, Aiden Lese, and this year it will be awarded to Coleton Mahoney.

The scholarship has been partially funded by the sale of the orange Brandon bracelets, made by his parents in the fall of 2018. This fall, the student council helped to fund the scholarship by donating all funds raised at our annual powder puff football game to the scholarship foundation.

In January, it was announced that Brandon’s scholarship was officially “endowed”. This means that his scholarship will be self-funding in perpetuity, allowing students to not only follow their own dreams but also do it in Brandon’s honor. 

As athletes take on their senior seasons, there is one thing that is especially looked forward to: senior night. This year, both the Dallastown football and basketball teams found their own way to honor Brandon on their senior nights.

On October 22, the football team held their senior night at our home game against Central. After calling this year’s seniors, Brandon’s name was announced as well. Allowing a moment for his parents to walk in his honor. The team also created a poster in his remembrance, which was hung on the field hockey goal at the south end zone that night.

The boy’s basketball team did the same on their senior night, by again, inviting Brandon’s parents to walk in his honor. Dallastown Boys basketball presented the Stambaugh’s with a gift to continue to remember their son. What would have been Brandon’s #25 basketball jersey, was framed and given to the Stambaugh’s that night. 

The senior class may be moving on from Dallastown, but Brandon’s memory will always be with us.   

Gracie Arriola

On April 23, 2022, the senior class was struck with a another devastating tragedy as we, once again, lost one of our own.

Gracie Arriola will always be remembered as a smiling face, caring friend, and someone who would do everything in her power to brighten your day, even if you didn’t know her personally.

Gracie was the best big sister in the world, as she was the oldest of 8 siblings, who loved her so very much.

“One of my favorite things about Gracie was how truly loving and caring she was,” Senior Morgan O’Neill said, “there was never a time that I was at her house that her siblings weren’t following her around giggling or asking her to play with them, which she always did.”

In the fall of our freshman year, Gracie moved to Dallastown from York Suburban. For most people, moving to a new school as a freshman isn’t easy, but Gracie quickly became friends with almost everyone she met.

She even joined the girl’s lacrosse team in the spring of 2019, again, quickly forming friendships with all of the girls on the team.

“She made every practice and game fun and was really just a beautiful person inside and out. Everyone loved being around her,” said former teammate, Maggie Wolfsheimer. 

Gracie had an infectious laugh that is remembered by all of her friends. 

“Her laugh… I loved her real laugh,” senior Kensy Knaub said.

Senior Larissa Cressler recalls that Gracie found almost everything funny, and her laugh and smile would light up the whole room.

“The amount of times that Gracie and I would be having a conversation where she would begin to laugh uncontrollably, is one of the things that I miss about her the most.” 

But it wasn’t just her day-making smile and infectious laughter that is remembered by her friends. Gracie loved animals.

Not only did she have two dogs of her own, but she found many other ways to interact with and spread her love for animals.

Often when Gracie was away, she would send videos of the reptiles that she would find outside to her friends. Many times Gracie would find lizards, frogs, and snakes that she would bring home and care for.

One time Gracie even surprised her family by bringing home a couple of baby chicks. 

Gracie was truly one of the most adventurous and spontaneous people that you could ever meet. Her friends remember her as a very go-with-the-flow type of girl who was always willing to try new things.