‘Ornery as heck’: Remembering KS high schooler who died days before graduation

Lyons High School principal Sharee Madsen caught senior Nathaniel B. Dold selling clearance energy drinks out of his backpack to students multiple times.

He also sold snacks to other students, she said.

Everyone called him Nate. She would call him Nathaniel only when she would catch him selling items to students, since he wasn’t supposed to. Then he would smile at her.

“The grin is definitely his signature thing,” she said. “And he had a heart for anyone who might be different or might be struggling. He had a kind words for them. He always he had a smile and he was ornery as heck.”

The 18-year-old died in an accident around 7 p.m. Thursday on K-156 near Ellsworth. He was driving a 2011 Chrysler 200 when he crossed the center line and hit a semi truck pulling a cattle trailer, a Kansas Highway Patrol trooper said in a crash report. The 58-year-old Morrill, Kansas, truck driver was not injured.

Dold died at the scene. He is survived by his parents and siblings.

Dold was going to cross the stage Sunday with his 52 classmates, who plan to honor him by wearing a black ribbon — black was his favorite color — that will have his football number of 63 and his wrestling weight of 157 pounds etched on different ends.

They will also put an energy drink, marked with a clearance sticker, on the front of the stage as they cross, in honor of Dold.

“Very pleasant kid, joked around in the hallway with me,” superintendent Bill Day said.

Joel Grizzle, who has been one of Dold’s wrestling coaches since he was 8, described him as ornery, goofy, stubborn, courageous and big hearted.

“All gas, no brakes,” he said.

Dold was a two-time state qualifier and placer one year, Grizzle said.

During a wrestling tournament when Dold was in middle school some boys were flirting with the girls, including Grizzle’s daughter.

“And he looked at me, put his hand on my shoulder, and said ‘Hey, coach. I got this,’” Grizzle said. “He went over and pretty much scared the boys away. So that kind of fits a lot of his personality.”

Dold was a lineman and linebacker on the football team. At 5-foot-7 or 5-foot-8 and 157 pounds, he often faced opponents much bigger than him.

“He would be the guy on the football field that would take on anyone bigger than him,” he said. “And win ... 85% of the time.”

Grizzle said Dold planned to attend Barton Community College in the fall and walk on to the wrestling team.