High School cancels football after tragedy - Shoreham-Wading River High School decided to cut off a Wednesday night game when a 16-year-old student got into a tragic collision against an opponent, leading to his death a few moments later on.
In what seemed as a nightmare for football fans, 16-year-old Tom Cutinella, a junior, collapsed at around 6 p.m. Wednesday in the middle of a football game in Elwood after a strong force hit his head, New York Post has learned.
Suffolk County Police said the varsity linebacker was immediately rushed to Huntington Hospital after the football game tragedy, but he was later pronounced dead after an emergency surgery.
High School cancels football after tragedy reports state that an ambulance was rushed onto the field when Cutinella collapsed. Around the same time, referees quickly decided to cancel the football game.
"It was a big hit," said the school's head football coach Matt Millheiser of the tragedy that struck during the third quarter of the game.
Prior to his death and during the emergency surgery, Cutinella's teammates, family, relatives and friends flocked at the hospital, waiting anxiously for updates from the doctor.
When news about his confirmed death was announced, many of his supporters wailed and two notably collapsed in grief.
"Thomas is my little cousin," Ashley Ventimiglia wrote on her Facebook of the young gridiron star. "Please pray for my family. The best boy I knew."
Shoreham-Wading River Superintendent Steven Cohen recognized Cutinella, saying that the young footballer started paying for the district in ninth grade and quickly made it to the varsity team this season.
"He excelled academically, had a great sense of humor and was just a great individual overall," Cohen said. "He was well-liked among students and staff, and he will truly be missed."
The teen who died in the High School cancels football after tragedy story was reportedly an advocate of the Natural Helpers program, which is a peer "helping network." He even announced on Twitter recently his plans to run for class president.
An update on the news story says a Thursday evening vigil is currently being planned by his family and friends, reported River Head News Review.
"I can only imagine the grief his family must be feeling," Cohen gushed. "We will do everything we can to support them and all of Tom's classmates during this terrible time."
All athletic activities at the district high school and middle school have been cancelled as of late, and an open house at the middle school has also been postponed.
Shoreham-Wading River school board member Jack Costas said that safety issues will be discussed during next Tuesday's board meeting.
"I think that, obviously, we're expecting to get a full report, find out exactly what happened and do an audit of our equipment and, if there is some way to ensure safer play, then, obviously we're going to have to make some adjustments," Costas told Newsday.
School board president William McGrath also commented on the incident, saying "it's just a complete and total tragedy." He then continued with: "Everybody is devastated by this. They're going to need their time and space to deal with this. The cacophony of media around here has me concerned."
The High School cancels football after tragedy story isn't the first and only football game incident that has led to the death of a teen player.
In 2013 along, the Annual Survey of Football Injury Research said eight deaths of high school football players were documented.
On a nationwide scale, an average of 3.1 deaths per football season has been obtained in the last decade.
Cutinella is considered as the third U.S. high school football player to die from a football injury in the past week, as per an ESPN report.
Elwood School District has also cancelled all athletic activities "out of respect and support for the Shoreham-Wading River community."
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