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Thanks to a longtime friend, Christopher Harrell will always be remembered in Dallas County.

Harrell, the longtime Dallas County High School basketball assistant coach, was fatally shot on Feb. 4 near Lannie’s BBQ on Medical Center Parkway after an attempted robbery. His funeral was last weekend at Dallas County High School Gymnasium.

The Selma-Dallas County Championship trophy given to the best football team in Dallas County will be renamed the Coach Chris Harrell Championship Trophy. Bruce Holmes Sr. and his wife Linda donated the trophy and will award it to the top football team in Dallas County.

Holmes said he and Harrell’s friendship goes back over 20 years ago with the Selma Vikings of the Selma City League.

“I met Chris Harrell back in the early 2000’s while I was coaching little league football at Block Park,” Bruce Holmes said. “He walked up to me with his youngest son and asked, ‘are you Coach Bruce? I said yes. He said my son wants to play football and l want him to play for your team Selma Vikings. After meeting Chris that day we ended up being friends.”

Bruce Holmes said the two shared an emotional moment after Harrell’s son, Keymiya Harrell, signed a football scholarship with Auburn in 2011.

“After l moved to Montgomery l got a call one night about 1 a.m.,” Bruce Holmes said. “It was Chris. He said Bruce, ‘l want to thank you for coaching my son in little league football nine years ago but l want you to know he just signed with Auburn. He was very emotional and happy we both cried on the phone.

Dallas County volleyball and softball coach Venecia Eaton, said the honor is well deserved for Harrell, an assistant coach on the Hornets’ Class 4A championship team during the 2013-2014 season.

“His dedication and direction put fire in our souls,” Eaton said. “He inspired us to do the best to reach our goals. His lessons will be remembered long after the game is won. The lessons he taught us have only just begun. He taught us about commitment, perseverance and hope.”