High school football player collapses during game, dies

ALTO, Texas — An East Texas high school football player has died after collapsing on the sidelines during a game.

The Jacksonville Daily Progress reports that Alto High School junior Cam’ron Matthews collapsed Friday night during an Alto home game against Price-Carlisle after reaching the bench from a kickoff return seconds before halftime. He suffered a seizure and doctors, nurses, coaches and trainers worked to keep him breathing.

The rural community is 11 miles from the nearest town, so after a 20-minute wait for an ambulance officials summoned a medical helicopter from Tyler, about 50 miles to the north. He remained in critical condition until dying Saturday night. No official cause of death has been determined.

Alto High School has an enrollment of almost 200 students.