The Sardis community is grieving the loss of 15-year-old Branson Peppers, a sophomore at Sardis High School, who was killed in a tragic ATV accident on Saturday, September 13. Peppers, a receiver and safety for the Sardis Lions, was riding his four-wheeler around 2 p.m. when it collided head-on with a car.
In a Facebook post on his Good News page, longtime broadcaster Rick Karle shared words from Peppers’ mother, Nicole Blanchard. She recalled that “everything he did he did through God,” adding that her son was saved at just six years old and proudly carried his faith on and off the football field. His uniform even bore the message “Jesus Saves,” a reflection of what mattered most to him.
Nicole also remembered the vigil at the Sardis High football stadium, where players handed her roses as classmates and neighbors prayed and released balloons into the night sky.
Speaking with ABC 33/40, Nicole noted a deepening commitment to his faith in recent weeks. She said that when she went to wake him in the mornings, she often found his Bible open in bed, describing it as a sign he was “seeking the Lord harder” and preparing those he loved to see him in Heaven.
Branson’s father, Jason Peppers, told the station his son was “always uplifting; he was always upbeat, he was always the same person no matter who he was around or what he was doing.”
His coach, B.J. Brooks, stressed that Branson’s message should live on, saying, “It’s always got to be the message … that is what we want to make it about always.”
Friend and classmate Kaidence Wilson added that Branson constantly encouraged others to grow spiritually, recalling, “The first thing he talked about was God … he always pushed me to be a better person, be a more Godly person.”
Jason also shared with ABC 33/40 that a prayer meeting at Boaz High School, which usually draws about 20 students, swelled to more than 200 after his son’s passing, with 20 young people making faith commitments as a direct result.
Alongside the family’s grief, the Sardis community has rallied in support. PeacefulDepartures.com reported that a meal train was launched to help provide meals and donations for the Peppers’ family. Neighbors and friends remembered Branson as “forever number eight, a teammate, a son, a friend, and a young man whose smile and energy lifted everyone around him”.
While junior varsity football games at Sardis were canceled following the tragedy, the varsity team is expected to play Friday night, honoring the memory of their teammate.
Despite the heartbreak, Jason Peppers said he finds comfort in knowing the lives touched by his son. “Just knowing that I’ll see him again one day and knowing the lives that my son changed in the short time that he was here, it’s amazing,” he said.
Branson Peppers’ life was cut tragically short, but his faith-driven message — “Jesus Saves” — continues to resonate in Sardis and beyond.
Sherri Blevins is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You may contact her at [email protected].
