Friends Remember CV Freshman

Friends and classmates of Scotty Katonka remembered him Thursday for his easy-going nature, hockey skills and friendly demeanor.

“He’s a great guy,” said Nigel Truong, who was a friend and played with him on the freshmen hockey team. “He’s funny. I swear I’ve never seen him upset. He’s easy to talk to. Just an overall good friend.

“I’m sure you can see it everywhere with people talking about him.”

Scotty, a 15-year-old Chartiers Valley High School student who just finished his freshman year, died Wednesday night when the car he was riding in .

Four other kids who are in the Chartiers Valley school system also were injured in the single-car crash.

“I’ve never lost someone I knew personally,” said Truong, who just finished his sophomore year.

Truong and other friends formed a Facebook page to remember Scotty—several students also changed their social media profiles to include his hockey No. 42 in the title—and find ways to raise money for his family, which resides in Heidelberg.

Truong and Justin Gill, who also played hockey with Scotty, are talking about selling small bracelets made of yellow hockey skate laces to memorialize the forward. They’re also talking about designing and selling T-shirts for their friend.

“He’s a good kid, a good hockey player,” Gill said. “He was just a nice kid. It’s just a shock.”

Funeral arrangements were not known as of Thursday night.

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