The administrator of the school district said that a high school football player in Florida passed away after fainting on the field after a game on Friday night.
Chance Gainer, an 18-year-old wide receiver and defensive back at Port St. Joe High School, passed unexpectedly after the away game at Liberty County High School, according to Gulf District Schools Superintendent Jim Norton.
Norton remarked that Gainer’s passing was a “tragic loss” and that “our community is in profound sorrow.”
According to a district statement, Norton “was a remarkable athlete, a beloved teammate, and an overall exceptional young man who loved Jesus.” “Chance was quiet but exuded captivating warmth and genuineness that drew people to him.”
“Perhaps the most heartbreaking situation imaginable for a family and a community,” according to Norton, was Gainer’s death.
The statement from Sissy Godwin, the principal of Port St. Joe High School, stated, “You may not have heard Chance in the crowd, but you could see his smile from across the room.”
Gainer was given medical attention on the field after collapsing, but when EMTs got there, they couldn’t find a pulse, according to NBC News affiliate WJHG. Before Gainer was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Blountstown, Florida, where he eventually passed away, medical professionals were able to detect a pulse.
After Gainer passed away, the community came to the high school “just to be together,” according to Norton, who also described it as “an indescribably heartwarming experience to watch the community pour their hearts of love on the family and Chance’s teammates and coaches.”
Tim Davis, the deputy principle and athletic director of Liberty County High School, the site of the game, informed Northwest Florida Daily News that Gainer was playing defensive back when he went down.
Davis said to the publication, “He just kind of fell to the ground.” He claimed that after tending to Gainer on the field, coaches quickly called emergency medical services.
Davis said on Facebook that the evening was “such an emotional night as the importance of football faded away.”
Gainer’s family established a verified GoFundMe page, describing the youngster as a “star athlete” and a “well loved classmate.”
The GoFundMe page’s description says, “A team, a school, a community, and most importantly, a family is truly devastated by the loss of Chance.”
In a Facebook message, the Florida High School Athletic Association expressed its “heartfelt sympathy” to Gainer’s family and the town of Port St. Joe.
Gainer had an honors student status with a GPA higher than 4.0, according to WJHG. He had talked about going to college while on a recent visit to Vanderbilt University.
According to the school’s Facebook page, Port St. Joe High School was open on Saturday afternoon to provide community members and students with bereavement assistance. On Monday, more counselors will be accessible for individuals in need.
Slightly more than 100 miles southwest of Tallahassee, on the Florida Panhandle, is where you’ll find Port St. Joe High School. The school’s planned Friday game has been postponed, according to WJHG.
Gainer’s death is not the only high school football player to pass away this year.
This season alone, at least five football players from high schools and one from middle schools had passed away. One of the high school players passed away during a preseason session, while another passed away after being tackled and hitting in the head during a game. Three of the players died during practice or soon after.
There have been increasing calls for reform in the sport as a result of the early-season deaths.
