Keon Patton saw Santiago Rhone was on the right path. The Des Moines teen was a promising young athlete, with dreams of playing baseball in college and going pro.

The East High School sophomore was disciplined, determined. With Patton as his mentor, the two trained regularly — twice or three times weekly — for years, with Patton's sessions sometimes Rhone's third workout of the day.

A "silent giant," the 15-year-old never shied away from hard work, said Patton, Rhone's former youth baseball coach. His love for the sport was true, genuine.

"I'm still in disbelief," he told the Des Moines Register. "I don't want to believe it."

Rhone died in late September after he was struck by a motorcycle while crossing the street. Polk County sheriff deputies were dispatched around 11 p.m. Sept.

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