Ava Moore’s lasting impact on basketball teammates at North Texas high school
Ava Moore was a leader on Keller’s Timber Creek High School girls basketball team and made a lasting impression on her fellow players, according to her coach.
Now the Lady Falcons are struggling in the wake of the 18-year-old’s death in a hit-and-run crash with a jet ski while Moore was kayaking at Grapevine Lake on May 25. The woman accused of recklessly driving the jet ski, 21-year-old Daikerlyn Alejandra Gonzalez Gonzalez, was arrested. The suspect faces charges including second-degree felony manslaughter.
“You don’t realize it until something like this happens, how there’s been such an impact for, you know, four years of players,” Timber Creek’s head basketball coach Tina DeMichele told the Star-Telegram.
Moore played basketball all through high school and was team captain during the 2023-24 season, her senior year.
The team is like a second family, according to DeMichele. They spend several hours together nearly every day of the week during basketball season, including Saturdays. Outside of practice they eat together and have sleepovers.
“They’re like sisters,” DeMichele said.
One of Moore’s former teammates posted a tribute to her on Facebook.
“Beautiful spirit, great heart n loved the game of basketball,” the post reads. “This is so hard for our girls!”
Moore — number 21 — was a vocal leader who also led by example, DeMichele said. Even when injured, she never missed a practice. DeMichele said she plans to retire Moore’s jersey this season.
The teen headed to the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School in Colorado after graduating from Timber Creek. Right before basketball season started, she talked to her former teammates over Zoom about what she’d learned.
“The girls didn’t know,” DeMichele said. “They just walked in the classroom and saw Ava on their computer screen. And like I said, she talked to them about ... perseverance, about discipline, about work ethic. It was really special.”
She can still visualize Moore coming into the gym when she was a student and on visits with “the biggest smile on her face.”
Moore graduated from the preparatory school May 19. She was set to attend the U.S. Air Force Academy as a member of the class of 2029, and was given full military honors at her funeral in Fort Worth on May 31.
Before setting her sights on the Air Force, Moore was preparing for a career as a veterinarian, DeMichele said. The teen loved animals, and had taken vet tech courses at the Keller Center for Advanced Learning.
She also played golf throughout high school and was a well-rounded student, according to DeMichele.
“She was a great student,” DeMichele said. “She loved playing the guitar. She was just an all-around great kid. Goofy, fun. She was awesome.”
Keller ISD Board of Trustees member Charles Randklev described Moore as a talented athlete and dedicated student.
“Ava embodied the values we hope to instill in all our students,” Randklev said in a Facebook post. “Service, resilience, and heart. While words fall short, we can honor her by lifting up her loved ones during this time.”
Moore was in North Texas over Memorial Day weekend to spend time with family and take a vacation with her two best friends. DeMichele was hoping to see her when she got back from her trip.
“We’re all struggling,” DeMichele said. “I mean, then honestly talking about Ava makes me feel better, because, like I said, I want people to know what a great person she was.”
Ke’sha Blanton, Moore’s basketball coach at the U.S. Air Force Academy Preparatory School, said in a statement that she’d spoken to the teen the day before the accident. The news of Moore’s death left her speechless.
“Ava was a leader and difference maker,” Blanton said in the statement. “I saw her leadership and passion for life firsthand, as she helped lead our team to an undefeated season. She had a great impact on many people’s lives including her fellow Preppies. I’ll miss her, and I know I am not the only one.”
Staff writer Lillie Davidson contributed to this report.
This story was originally published June 3, 2025 at 12:12 PM.
