The Malvern High School football community is rallying around one of its leaders following the death of his mother.
Nikki Bailey, mother of senior lineman Darnell Jackson, was remembered Monday during a funeral at Malvern First Christian Church.
Friends knew her as Nikki. Her obituary, published by Gotschall-Hutchinson Funeral Home, listed her formal name and provided these details:
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“Shara Nicole Bailey, age 43, of Malvern, passed away Sept. 4, 2025. She was born June 28, 1982 in Canton to Elissa (Taggart) Koontz of Malvern and the late James Koontz II. She graduated from Malvern High School and the R.G. Drage Career Center in 2000. She was a cosmetologist.
“She loved spending time watching her daughter show her animals at the local fairs and attending the many sporting events for her son. She also liked to hang out around the house with her friends and family and always found the best in everyone.”
Malvern head coach Matt Chiurco said her passing was “a shock to everybody.” He said Darnell was about to leave for school Thursday morning when he went to say goodbye to his mom.
“He found her in bed and tried to wake her up. She didn’t wake up,” Chiurco said.
Jackson was an important player for the 2024 Malvern team that went 11-2.
“He’s our leader up front this year,” Chiurco said. “He starts at tackle on offense and nose guard on defense.
“He played very well in our first two games, and he played on Friday, which was very emotional for all of us.”
Malvern played a home game Sept. 5 against Harrison Central, winning 38-28.
It was a tense battle in which Harrison Central led 15-14 after returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown.
The game turned when Aiden Sprague stripped the ball from a punt returner and ran 45 yards for a touchdown. Jaxon Jones, Malvern’s first-year starter at quarterback, had his best game.
During and after the game, according to the coach, the Hornets rallied around a teammate who was hurting, but gave his all and was a reason the Hornets won.
“I give Darnell all the credit in the world for being there with us,” Chiurco said. “We want to make sure we’re here for him and we have his back and he knows he has our full support.”
Malvern’s next two games will be at home, against Mogadore and Tusky Valley.
The Canton Repository sports department can be contacted via email at sports@cantonrep.com.
This article originally appeared on The Repository: Malvern football rallies around Darnell Jackson, who plays the day after death of his mom
Reporting by Steve Doerschuk, Canton Repository / The Repository
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