More than half the Hillcrest High School football roster dropped their morning practice drills Friday, July 31, and spent hours helping residents displaced by a four-alarm fire at the North Union apartment complex in Midvale.

The Huskies were running practice across the street when smoke began billowing from the apartment building's roof. Head Coach Robby Kaelin learned the school would serve as a temporary shelter and sent a message to his players asking for volunteers.

The response exceeded his expectations.

"We saw a huge billowing tower of smoke, and I remember thinking this is really serious," player Boston Kalt told Fox 13.

Kalt, along with teammates K'Von Houston and Luke Worth, was among the players who returned to help displaced residents at the school's field house, where the American Red Cross set up an evacuation center and provided lunch for approximately 200 people.

Kaelin told Fox 13 the moment showed what his program teaches: being better people off the field than on it.

The fire displaced approximately 220 households. Resident Kaleigh McKean escaped with only her two cats and car keys, fearing her apartment was destroyed. She lived on the bottom floor and hoped to find only water damage.

The cause remains under investigation.

It wasn't just the football team. Hillcrest school counselors Kim Walters and Cathy Nelson also responded, distributing water and supplies to residents on scene. July 31 was the first day staff were back at the school for the new year. Walters told ABC4 that day that the school considers the displaced residents part of the Hillcrest family, regardless of whether they have a direct connection to the school.

The shelter was later relocated to Fort Union Middle School in Sandy after a power outage at Hillcrest.

Houston said he hoped the effort would build lasting bonds with neighbors. Worth said watching the fire escalate was hard but that the community came together as one.

The Huskies open their 2026 season at home against Desert Hills on Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m., followed by a home game against Deer Creek on Friday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m.