They should never be forgotten, and that these names should forever be carried on.

You don't have to go very far in Uvalde, Texas, to be reminded of all that was lost here that tragic day, May 24th, 2022. The faces of those who were taken now line the streets of the town square. When I first met Justinrendon, he was starting his senior season as captain of the 2022 Coyote Football team. We followed the team for an entire year, getting behind the scenes access. After the mass shooting, these players and coaches desperately needed to lean on each other.

I'll never forget that day. I still see that every day. It'll pop up in my mind off and on during the day, every day.

Twenty-one was just... It was a lot. It was a lot of people that it affected. There's 21 members of this community that are no longer here with us.

When that happened, everything stopped. Obviously, tragedy happened, but everything froze for a moment. So there was a whole lot of nothing going on at the time. But it did shut down what we were doing football-wise.

You were afraid to talk to people in a grocery store or a small when you're in town because you didn't know who you were with and you just didn't feel like smiling.

To have that, you have to deal with that all day, every day, and then have to go to football practice. And then on top of that, knowing that the whole town is going to be broken hearts, unbelievable.

And I think we wanted everybody just to come together and just take their mind off of everything just a little bit.

There you go.

It was, I think, an opportunity for them to just get a little bit of relief.

I don't know how many kids would have handled it the way these guys have been.

We see it. Whether it's shirts, some of them are writing stuff on their cleats. Whether it's a cousin, a sister, a brother, you constantly remind it. You can't get away from it. And you try to be there for them and just let them just immerse themselves in this team, this community, this family, this brotherhood that we try to build together.

Isabel just was like a therapy to serve, but he didn't have to feel the sadness and the sorrow. They just were able to feel the comfort of the family that we have.

The number 21. I called some of the seniors over and I said, hey, do we retire it? Do we give it to a senior? What do you all want to do?

And they were unanimous. And everybody agreed to let's continue to wear it so we don't ever forget the 21.

Every time you see that number, you have to think about it. You're doing it for them whether you want to or not. You're forever connected to it.

And when I was selected, it was an honor, shock, loss of words. A coach had announced that Justin was wearing the 21, I automatically started crying. I was just so happy. I was proud. It was a very humbling moment.

At the beginning, I was a little skeptical because I didn't want to take away from the tragedy, but I also know that the community has to begin to heal. That significant number now that will always be associated with Ivaldi, and he gets to carry it out on Friday nights. He also gets to showcase that we're still family. We're trying to heal, but we're trying to... We're not forgetting, but we're trying to move forward.

They fought hard on every single play, running on the memory of the 21 and giving the people of Vivaldi a reason to smile and cheer. For this very special football team, it was a season like none other. One you'll never forget. And the number 21, you'll always carry that in your heart. Yes, sir, forever.

It'll always be something part of this community. Cindy and me.

The power of sport and community. Our thanks to John. The new documentary, 21, loyal and true, is streaming now on ESPGN+ and you can also watch it on ABC News Live this Friday at 8:00 PM. Hi, everyone. George Stephanopoulos here. Thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel. If you'd like to get more videos, show highlights, and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel. Don't forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts. Thanks for watching.