California high school football player collapses during game and dies

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Emmanuel Antwi, a senior at John F. Kennedy High School, collapsed on the sidelines of the game on Friday night and was rushed to hospital, where he died, CNN affiliate KCRA reported.

The match was called off after Antwi collapsed, and the limited number of fans in the stadium were asked to leave.

“We don’t have a lot of details to share beyond that,” the City of Sacramento Unified School District said in a press release. “Our thoughts are with Emmanuel’s family and our school community during this difficult time. We ask everyone to give them privacy and time for healing and comfort when they cry.”

The school was playing its first game of the football season which was delayed from last year due to the pandemic. The Sac-Joaquin section of the California Interscholastic Federation, of which Kennedy High School is a part, tweeted a sympathy message for school.

“We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Kennedy High School football player Emmanuel Antwi. We send thoughts and prayers to his family, friends, teammates and everyone at @SCUSDKennedy,” the district wrote in his message.

First game of the season

A GoFundMe page has been set up to help Antwi’s mother cover funeral costs and care for her two other children. Organizers said Antwi was 18.

“After waiting months because of Covid, the first football game of the season has finally arrived! He just told his football coach that he finally got his driver’s license. He was so excited,” said writes the organizers.

“Emmanuel ‘Manny’ was loved by so many people and he was a great young man and he was definitely too young to pass away,” they added.

Sunday afternoon, the fundraiser raised over $ 27,000, exceeding its goal of $ 20,000. The organizers expressed their gratitude, saying they had received an “overwhelming” amount of love and support.

“No amount of money can bring Manny back, but it can take the stress off his mother’s shoulders,” they wrote.

Student support

A district spokesperson told KCRA that a designated trauma response team would be available to the school community following Antwi’s death.

The team “will follow up with them over the next few days to help them approach and mentally deal with this incident,” the spokesperson said.

The school also sent a letter to the families of the students, indicating that school counselors and mental health support staff will be hosting virtual grief sessions on Zoom.

Once soccer practice resumes, counselors will also be available in person, depending on the school district.



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