After Wes Leonard: Life in Fennville

FENNVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) - At places such as the Blue Goose Cafe and the Main Street Market, people have noticed a difference -- more smiles, more friendly conversations.

They say something amazing happened here -- after Wes Leonard's rise to glory. But it isn't about basketball, or winning or
losing.

It's about kids growing closer to each other, spending a little more time with parents, thinking more about life, and not sweating the little things.

"I view life with a different perspective," said Leonard's girlfriend of three years, 16-year-old Selena Beltran-Pena. "I'm very cautious with a lot of things. I cherish every moment that I have with my friends -- just make every memory memorable."

Even before Leonard's death, on March 3, shortly after making a winning layup, Fennville already had that close, small-town feeling. The only traffic light is a railroad crossing sign.

Leonard's mom, Jocelyn, who moved to West Michigan with her family from Kansas six years ago, quickly fell in love with Fennville, and it fell in love with her. She was known to sing show tunes while getting her hair cut at Cris' Hairstyling Salon, and led kids Christmas caroling through town.

And, she quickly learned the high school is the heart of the city, straight out of Friday Night Lights.

"I think in small towns, I think a lot of people -- that's what you do on Friday night," she said. "You go to the basketball games, you go to the football games, you go to the volleyball games."

She's a Fennville Middle School music teacher, and directs the school plays.

"My concerts have standing-room-only. I mean, who can say that? They don't have kids in the choir, and they're there," Jocelyn said.

And, it was in that spirit -- the school spirit -- that Fennville celebrated a perfect regular season with Wes' layup in overtime.

"Wes went out on a high," said Sharon Krawczyk, of Fennville. "I mean, if you're going to take him, he flew to glory. He flew through that hoop and he went right to glory."

And, much of the city was there, in that gym, watching when he collapsed.

"Our hearts just dropped to see that, to have so many witnesses there, to see the accomplishment of winning the game," hairstylist Karen Knight said.

And, the city rallied behind the team, as it played, and won, and won and won.

Part of the healing, of course, was playing basketball; listening to Wes' girlfriend lead a packed gym, chanting Leonard's name.

And, for Wes' mom and dad, it was seeing their 13-year-old son Mitchell, on the court, holding the district championship trophy over his head, tears welling up in his eyes.

"To see him be a part of that was great -- that at least a little bit of Wes was out there with his brother, and I think it meant a lot to him for the healing, the starting of healing," Jocelyn said.

For the Leonards, healing will include a cause, in Wes' name -- perhaps fundraising to help raise awareness of the deaths of young athletes due to heart disease.

"It's going to be on the side of prevention," Jocelyn said. "We want to make sure it's used right."

Now, though, it's time to reflect.

"Now, everybody will get a little bit of time to, for themselves, to process things," Blue Goose waitress Pam Margeston said. "It's hard when you're in the middle of things and you can't push a pause button."

And winter has turned to spring.

Beltran-Pena laced up her cleats for the first time last week, took grounders at shortstop, threw a few fast balls and hit some line drives.

Wes, she said, won't be forgotten.

"I think it's just being a true Blackhawk," she said. "It's what he was."

But she, like Fennville, will move on.

"I don't think we'll ever get over it, but I know together, we can make it through it."

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Photos: Wes Leonard; 1994-2011 (from the family)