High school football player dies in Mississippi

[Curt James]

High school football player dies in Mississippi

September 9, 2011

OCEAN SPRINGS, Miss. (AP) - A Mississippi Gulf Coast high school football player died Friday night after collapsing on the field during a game, authorities said.

D'Iberville High School football player Latrell "Fred" Dunbar was pronounced dead at 9:50 p.m. Friday at Ocean Springs Hospital, Jackson County Coroner Vicki Broadus told The Sun Herald.

WLOX-TV reported Dunbar was given CPR on the field before medics arrived. It was not immediately clear what caused his death.

D'Iberville coach Buddy Singleton told The Clarion-Ledger that Dunbar collapsed during the third quarter while returning to the huddle after a play.

Dunbar, a junior running back, did not carry the ball on the play.

D'Iberville is just north of Biloxi, an area that was hard hit by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. D'Iberville was playing at Gautier, another Mississippi Gulf Coast community.

Singleton said paramedics and physicians "did everything possible."

"I've been in this a long time and I have always feared something like this would happen," said the 70-year-old coach. "He was a great kid."

Play was stopped while Dunbar was taken off the field. Singleton said the players voted to continue with the game, which D'Iberville went on to win, 17-14.

Afterward, the players were told their teammate had died.

"I've been coaching a long, long time and it is, by far, the worst moment I've ever had," Singleton told The Sun Herald. "The game really didn't mean anything."

From The Associated Press

 

[Curt James]

Another report with a few more details:

A high school football player died Friday night after being taken to a hospital from a game in Gautier, Miss., according to media reports.

Latrell "Fred" Dunbar of D'Iberville High was pronounced dead at 9:50 p.m. Friday at Ocean Springs Hospital, Jackson County, Miss., coroner Vicki Broadus told The Sun Herald newspaper of Biloxi. The cause of death was not immediately available.

D'Iberville was playing at Gautier, which is on the Gulf coast near Pascagoula.

Dunbar, a junior running back, was given CPR on the field before the medics arrived, WLOX-TV reported. Emergency personnel continued to apply CPR as he was loaded into an ambulance.

Dunbar collapsed during the third quarter while returning to the huddle after a play, D'Iberville coach Buddy Singleton told The Clarion-Ledger newspaper.

He was blocking away from the action, WLOX-TV reported. He was face-down and motionless when it became apparent he was in distress. The TV station said Dunbar stopped breathing three times on the field.

There was no ambulance on the scene, according to WLOX-TV. One arrived after about 15 minutes.

“I have been coaching a long, long time,” Singleton told The Sun Herald. “It is by far the worst thing that I have ever seen. I have never lost a player before.

"I've been in this a long time and I have always feared something like this would happen," said Singleton, who is 70. "He was a great kid."

Justin Brister, who scored two second-half touchdowns to give D’Iberville a 17-14 victory, said playing was difficult. “I was crying on and off the field. It was very difficult.”

Continuing after Dunbar collapsed was a team decision.

“I told them that if they wanted to play, we would play and if they wanted to call it off, we would call it off,” Singleton said. “They said they wanted to play.”

Dunbar played offense, defense, and special teams for D'Iberville, according to MaxPreps.com. He was 5-7, 185 pounds and was playing fullback when he was injured.

From Mississippi high school football player dies; collapsed on field - - Sporting News

 

[sofargone561]

going to a high school where basketball, football and lax ruled and was more important then anything else in highschool life this is absolutly terrible =( i wqould love to know what caused the collapse and the death

 

[Little Wing]

do any schools require physicals before playing football? my sons friend has been staying here a few nights and he made the team just by going to a tryout. i don't think any physical was required.

 

[sofargone561]

do any schools require physicals before playing football? my sons friend has been staying here a few nights and he made the team just by going to a tryout. i don't think any physical was required.

yes, at my highschool it was MANDITORY to go to a doctor and get a SPORTS PHYSICAL its different then the one you need like for school or a check up... their fast and cheap.... best of luck!

 

[Curt James]

yes, at my highschool it was MANDITORY to go to a doctor and get a SPORTS PHYSICAL its different then the one you need like for school or a check up... their fast and cheap.... best of luck!

Agreed. They always had physicals for the sports teams at my high school as well.