The football at the top of the Milan C. Roth Memorial at WACO High School has been stolen, the school says. While the theft was discovered this week, WACO Athletic Director and Head Football Coach Chad Edeker said it may have been missing for several weeks already.

The memorial has sat near the end zone of the football field for over 20 years in honor of Milan Roth. The stone memorial has become an integral part of the football program’s home game tradition, as players touch the football as they take the field before games. The school issued a statement calling the theft “not only a violation of property but a disregard for the values and memories this tradition holds for our community.”

Edeker described what the memorial means to the team, especially defensive coordinator Chayse Roth, who is Milan’s son, “It’s really big for our coaching staff more than our players, but even the players know Coach Roth and know it’s his dad, and it’s just what we do. We touch that football every time we go out.”

Milan Roth was a 1975 graduate of WACO who attended William Penn on a football scholarship, according to his obituary. He passed away in 2004 at the age of 47.

The school asked for anyone with information to report it to the school. Edeker says that law enforcement has been notified.