How sad& tragic was this? Your thoughts & some of the story inside->?
My thoughts go out to this poor kid his friends & his family. ->
Prep star hits game-winning shot for perfect season, falls and dies
Tragedy struck Western Michigan on Thursday night when Fennville (Mich.) High basketball star Wes Leonard hit a game-winning shot in a 57-55, overtime victory over Bridgman (Mich.) High, then collapsed on the court while celebrating the victory and was pronounced dead at a hospital shortly thereafter.
According to the Associated Press, Leonard, who you can see making the game-winning shot above, was celebrating his game-winning layup with the rest of his teammates when he collapsed to the ground. Paramedics tried CPR on the star at the site and in the ambulance, but he was pronounced dead upon reaching nearby Holland Hospital.
The star’s death was due to an enlarged heart, Ottawa County medical examiner David A. Smart told ABC News after concluding an autopsy on the player’s body on Friday.
"Obviously, in the midst of celebration, I think shocking is exactly the word," Fennville Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer told The Holland Sentinel about Leonard’s collapse.
Making matters even more disorienting for Fennville fans were the events that transpired just before Leonard’s death. The junior — who was also the quarterback of the school’s football team last fall — not only hit the winning shot in the team’s final regular-season game, but by doing so he also ensured that the Blackhawks would finish with a perfect, 20-0 record.
"It’s tough to take in," Leonard’s teammate Shane Bale told The Sentinel. "It’s like somebody from your family, you know?"
Rest of this sad story is on this link.->
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Prep-star-hits-game-winning-shot-for-perfect-sea?urn=highschool-329684
What a devastating tragedy.. it really makes you think. I knew a kid who loved the game and died while playing it. He was my age (16) and he finally got into the school that he had been dreaming to attend. His passion, talent, skills and love for the game got him a spot on the team. He wanted to lead his team to the championship, but he passed away during practice due to cardiac arrest. To honor him, his team set their goal to win the championship for him and they did!
Very sad. I feel bad for his family and his team. Teammates are like family. It’s hard to believe that this could happen to anyone. Even me.
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That is pretty shocking and very sad.
He will always be remembered, I’m sure, and known for his achievements.
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thats sad getting a game winning shot would’ve got him so much more friends he would’ve been more popular and then he dies thts sooo sad
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Thats terrible. This school was about 1 1/2 hours away from where I live.
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It is very sad and my thoughts do go out to the kids friends and his family
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What a devastating tragedy.. it really makes you think. I knew a kid who loved the game and died while playing it. He was my age (16) and he finally got into the school that he had been dreaming to attend. His passion, talent, skills and love for the game got him a spot on the team. He wanted to lead his team to the championship, but he passed away during practice due to cardiac arrest. To honor him, his team set their goal to win the championship for him and they did!
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oh my gosh! my thoughts go out to his family and friends and classmates. This is a reminder of how precious life really is, and how you should never take it for granted, ever!
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I saw that on the news tonight and got tears in my eyes thinking this was a young man with a full life ahead of him. My heart and prayers are with his family. Very sad~
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Thank you for sharing this Scooter and yes its terribly tragic.
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while that is sad, what was his doctor and family thinking of to let him play that hard and that much?
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I felt horrible for his friends, family, and teamates. He was so young.
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Yeah, I read about it yesterday and I got the chills. It’s so sad to hear about something like this.
But the good thing is he died playing the sport he loves.
R.I.P. Condolences to his family, team, school, friends
.
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I heard about this kid and they said it was from an enlarged heart. At least his last moments were memorable and that his mother was there and had canceled her play so she could watch him.
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It happened to a basketball player in LA a few years ago for the same reason. With all that medical science can do these days you would think that there would be a way to detect the defect and protect the kid.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hank_Gathers
omg. that is sad
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That was sad i felt really bad about it
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its heart breaking i feel terrible for the friends and family
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wow thats sad.
At least he got to know what hitting the game winning shot feels like.
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SO SAD! 🙁 RIP Leonard!
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