"Blake Elliott Cup" soccer event honors Harford County student killed in crash
A new annual soccer game is helping keep the memory of a 16-year-old girl killed in a Harford County car crash last year alive.
The inaugural "Blake Elliot Cup" was played Sunday at UMBC's Retriever Soccer Park, where UMBC and Loyola renewed their soccer rivalry for the first time in 10 years.
But the game was about more than soccer. It was a tribute to Blake Elliot, who was killed nearly one year ago in a crash that also seriously injured her boyfriend, Zachary Griffin.
"It's only been 11 months since we lost Blake, so there's an extreme amount of sadness that comes along with this," said Blake's father, Rob Elliot.
Elliot and Griffin were pushed into the path of a school bus on Route 543 in Harford County by another driver. Court records show the driver, John Gaeta, was using his cellphone at the time of the crash. Gaeta was recently sentenced to three years in prison.
Blake's parents remember her as a loving, energetic and funny teenager.
"She was just a great kid — a loving, super energetic, funny, loving kid," her father said. "We miss her every second, every day."
The past 11 months have been unimaginably painful for the Elliot family, but they said the community has consistently supported them.
"That's why this event is so amazing, because when we couldn't care for ourselves, the community cared for us," the family said.
Blake's father, Rob Elliot, played soccer at both UMBC and Loyola. On Sunday, the schools battled for a trophy bearing his daughter's name.
"Baltimore has a really strong soccer tradition. It always has," UMBC coach Anthony Adams said. "We support our own and we take care of our own. Rob Elliot is one of our own, and Belinda is part of that. We're just here to remember Blake."
The Elliot family also recently formed a foundation that supports causes reflecting Blake's interests.
The foundation aims to help families in need, youth athletics and animals — causes Blake cared deeply about.
Blake's father said the family believes the three-year sentence given to Gaeta was not enough.
On the field, UMBC took home the first Blake Elliot Cup.
For Blake's family, though, the trophy represents much more than a soccer victory. It is a way to keep her memory alive and honor the community that has stood by them since her death.
