HS player saves perfect season by making game-winning shot -- then dies.

Back in my former place, we had a kid die the night before his high school regional tournament. His mom found his slumped over his school books. His team played that day, forced OT, but ran out of gas. Our reporter who was there said the postgamer presser was awful as one might expect.

 

Coroner's report indicates he had an enlarged heart. One of those things that's nearly impossible to know about until its too late.

So today I come in a little early because the other sporto is covering the Section basketball finals and I need to do live update the web and Facebook pages. Go through my e-mail and, less than 12 hours after the first story on this young man's death moved on the sports wire, I see the first "this could have been prevented" release. Apologies to those is PR, and maybe I'm being a bit too sensitive since prep tournament time is one of my favorite times of year, but ... how about some freaking sensitivity? [/rant]

 

The photos on the AP wire are sad. There's one of him making the shot, one of him celebrating with his teammates, one of him being surrounded by emergency personnel and horrified officials and a few with players, cheerleaders. etc. looking horrified. Four pictures encompassing seconds and you can tell the whole tragic story.

 

Yeah, sorry, that one doesn't work when it's a 16 year old kid. This young man never got to fully figure out what he loves.

Not much way to gloss this tragedy up. I guess some comfort can be taken in the fact that he had this triumphant joyous moment right before his death. But, beyond that, this is just terribly sad.

 

No silver lining in this one.

I saw a kid die on the basketball court about 20 years ago, during a JV game. It was horrifying, obviously. I still get disproportionately unnerved any time I see someone go down in a game I'm watching. Took me a while to realize why, but when I figured it out, it was a definite "Aha!" moment.

 

While we're using all the usual cliches, they're going to play their playoff game, because the dearly departed would have wanted them to play:

http://www.hollandsentinel.com/feature/x1512120777/Fennville-basketball-team-will-play-in-Mondays-districts

Good idea. Better to get out and do something than wallow in sorrow.

 

I saw where the MTSU women are also playing in their conference tournament "for" their teammate who was stabbed to death by her roommate.

 

This. And that line never works for me at all, no matter how old the person. Death is a part of life, of course. But it's especially a sad deal when it's a young man like Wes Leonard.

We had a similar case at my shop last year. Star JV player .. 15 years old.....ticketed for big things. Scores 20-plus points in a game, goes home, dies in his sleep of a heart attack. Enlarged heart. Those are the rare days when the toy department isn't its usual fun.

When I played football in high school., I lost my best friend during preseason conditioning my sophomore year ... early 80s, back in the days when they ran you to death - literally for my friend, unfortunately. We were at the end of about two hours of running in 90-plus heat, doing cooldown laps. He collapsed right there on the track beside me and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Every time I cover one of these stories ... or even read about one ... my thoughts go right back to that day.

 

Living?

 

Getting blown by a cheerleader in the postgame dogpile?

 

First that thought came to your head.

Then you thought it was hilarious enough to share.

Then you actually took the time to type it out and send it on its way.

At no point did a little voice tell you, "Eh ... probably not really that funny," or, "I have a strong feeling that I might be the only person who finds this quip funny."

Startling.

 

I gave the voice the day off. Sorry.