ORANGE, Texas — An east Texas high school senior collapsed during a game Friday night and died shortly after.
Reggie Garrett, who was starting quarterback for West Orange-Stark High School, had just thrown a 13-yard touchdown pass early in the second quarter against visiting Jasper High School when he collapsed.
Garrett had not celebrated much before collapsing on the sidelines in what appeared to be a seizure, said coach Dan Hooks. He was taken from the field on a stretcher, then rushed by ambulance to Baptist Hospital Orange.
He died about an hour later.
"I don't think he ever showed any response after he fell," said Hooks, who noted Garrett had not shown any signs of health problems.
"This is the hardest night I will ever have," said Hooks, who is in his 29th year of coaching the West Orange-Stark Mustangs. "You can't even grasp how big this tragedy is. It's horrible."
The football game resumed after Garrett was taken to the hospital. Play continued even as rumors of Garrett's death circulated during the third quarter.
"We really didn't know if it was true," said Hooks.
Garrett's team gathered in an emotional huddle after the game, where assistant coach Mark Foreman implored players to live their lives to the fullest and draw upon each other from strength.
This morning Foreman said everyone was "numb."
"One second you see Reggie with that big old grin he has, and he's giving me that low five we always do when he comes off the field after a score. And then he's down," said Foreman.
"The last pass he throws was a touchdown," he said. "We'll always remember that."
Josh Rhodes, Garrett's cousin who graduated from West Orange-Stark last year, said his family is struggling.
"It's so tough, so many emotions are running through our heads right now," said Rhodes. "Our church family is really keeping everyone strong. The community has been so strong."
"The Mustang family, what more can you say about that? They're with us all the way," said Rhodes, a former receiver for the team who caught Garrett's first touchdown pass in a game two years ago.
"Right now you just don't know what else to say, other than we loved Reggie so much," said Rhodes.
Garrett had started the season strong. By its third game this weekend, he was attracting attention from scouts for colleges including Houston, Louisiana-Lafayette and McNeese State.
Hooks released a statement Saturday morning noting the school had no further details about what had caused Garrett's death. Funeral arrangements had not yet been made.
The team has cancelled its out-of-district game next weekend.
Material for this story was reported by The Orange, Texas, Leader
