bulldog65
10-17-2003, 06:47 AM
Posted on Fri, Oct. 17, 2003
Tragedy strikes Everman again
High school football star dies after morning track run Death comes less than year after another player paralyzed
By CARLOS MENDEZ
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
STAR-TELEGRAM/JOYCE MARSHALL
Stephanie Burgos, left, and Ruby Uribe attend a candlelight vigil for Craig Boatwright at Everman High School. Boatwright, at top, died after collapsing Thursday during a supervised run on the school track.
STAR-TELEGRAM/RON T. ENNIS
Assistant football coach Ty Bishop hangs his head while he and other faculty listen to Everman district Superintendent Dan Powell talk about student Craig Boatwright's death on Thursday.
()
EVERMAN - Everman High School reacted to tragedy on the football team for the second time in less than a year Thursday when a star player bound for TCU died after collapsing during a run on the school track.
Craig Boatwright, a senior defensive end and a candidate for homecoming king at tonight's game, collapsed at 7:25 a.m. Thursday, minutes from the end of a two-mile run to work off a punishment.
The 17-year-old stopped, appeared fatigued and fell to the track at Marr Stadium, according to band members who were practicing on the football field.
Boatwright was pronounced dead at 8:15 a.m. at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. Everman school district Superintendent Dan Powell said a passer-by, the father of another football player, called 911 and an assistant coach and an assistant trainer performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The cause of death was not known. School district officials had no information regarding an autopsy.
District officials said Boatwright, 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, was in excellent health and had not shown signs or complained of health problems. The run was being supervised by his position coach, Erik McGuffin, in cool weather.
McGuffin performed the first CPR procedures, assistant coach Dale Matlock said.
It is the second tragedy to hit the football team in 10 months. In December, Corey Fulbright was paralyzed as he attempted a tackle during the state championship game.
"This is not what you sign up to be a coach for," Matlock said. "And now, this is two times something has happened that you never expect to happen to a team."
Boatwright had been running the two-mile workout four days a week, Monday through Thursday, for three weeks as an alternative to sitting out three games, Matlock said. Students said Boatwright was being punished for throwing his helmet on the sideline during a game, but coaches would not confirm the infraction.
Thursday was the last day of the punishment.
"It was his choice to do the run," Matlock said. "He acknowledged that he broke the rules. He was more than happy to do the run because he wanted to play. All of our kids have run for something at some point. We do runs for grades or conduct -- anything."
Athletes are allowed to finish the two miles at their own pace, Matlock said. The distance can be run in 30 minutes or less. Boatwright was sprinting on the straightaways -- about the length of the football field -- and walking the curves, Matlock said.
Two miles is about eight laps around the standard 400-meter track.
"It is fatiguing, but it is not strenuous," Matlock said. "You second-guess yourself, sure, as a coach, but not being present, it's hard to specify exactly what caused it."
Principal Kathy Culbertson said she does not plan to ask coaches to stop using running as punishment.
"I think, in hindsight, our coaches use very good judgment," she said. "A coach was running with him. That is something that has been done for discipline that the coaches also believed would help him as a football player."
The player's parents and head coach Dale Keeling declined to comment.
The school does not have an automated external defibrillator, but coaches and teachers are trained in CPR. Huguley Memorial Medical Center is about five miles away on Interstate 35W, accessible by Everman Parkway in front of the school.
"The thing that we do have here is real quick access to the EMS," Matlock said. "They got here real fast."
Classes remained in session Thursday, but students were allowed to see counselors or clergy at any time. The students were informed of the death during an assembly. The football players were told in the field house by Culbertson upon her return from the hospital.
The school moved tonight's homecoming activities to Oct. 31 and canceled Thursday's subvarsity games.
An estimated 400 people turned out for a candlelight vigil Thursday night in front of the high school.
Among those in attendance were Boatwright's mother, Shannon, and father, Jerry, and his entire immediate family, teammates and other members of the student body and the community.
At the service, Culbertson said the school had received condolences from all across the state, including tonight's opponent, Venus High School.
The players voted to play tonight's 7:30 home game, an event Boatwright's family will try to attend, his brother Brian Cantey said.
Offensive tackle Omarion Bradford said the team's decision to play was inspired in part by Fulbright, who graduated in May.
"Corey and Craig were both people who like to have fun," he said. "They wouldn't want us to have our heads down. To be around Craig, you knew you were always going to have fun because he lived every day like it was going to be his last. If you were having a bad day, you could always look to him to cheer you up."
Boatwright started five of six games for the Bulldogs, who have won the past two Class 3A Division I championships. He recorded 37 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
He had committed to Texas Christian University. The Horned Frogs observed a moment of silence before practice Thursday.
"It's a sad day for us," coach Gary Patterson said. "We considered him one of us, and we were looking forward to the day when he would be playing here. ... We talked to him last night to make sure he was going to be at our game this weekend, and he said he would be. He was a great kid. He had a high motor and played hard all the time."
Staff Writer Damien Pierce and Correspondent Travis Richmond Contributed to This Article.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respectfully copied from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Thank you Down Low and please keep Craig's family in your prayers.
Tragedy strikes Everman again
High school football star dies after morning track run Death comes less than year after another player paralyzed
By CARLOS MENDEZ
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
STAR-TELEGRAM/JOYCE MARSHALL
Stephanie Burgos, left, and Ruby Uribe attend a candlelight vigil for Craig Boatwright at Everman High School. Boatwright, at top, died after collapsing Thursday during a supervised run on the school track.
STAR-TELEGRAM/RON T. ENNIS
Assistant football coach Ty Bishop hangs his head while he and other faculty listen to Everman district Superintendent Dan Powell talk about student Craig Boatwright's death on Thursday.
()
EVERMAN - Everman High School reacted to tragedy on the football team for the second time in less than a year Thursday when a star player bound for TCU died after collapsing during a run on the school track.
Craig Boatwright, a senior defensive end and a candidate for homecoming king at tonight's game, collapsed at 7:25 a.m. Thursday, minutes from the end of a two-mile run to work off a punishment.
The 17-year-old stopped, appeared fatigued and fell to the track at Marr Stadium, according to band members who were practicing on the football field.
Boatwright was pronounced dead at 8:15 a.m. at Huguley Memorial Medical Center. Everman school district Superintendent Dan Powell said a passer-by, the father of another football player, called 911 and an assistant coach and an assistant trainer performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The cause of death was not known. School district officials had no information regarding an autopsy.
District officials said Boatwright, 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, was in excellent health and had not shown signs or complained of health problems. The run was being supervised by his position coach, Erik McGuffin, in cool weather.
McGuffin performed the first CPR procedures, assistant coach Dale Matlock said.
It is the second tragedy to hit the football team in 10 months. In December, Corey Fulbright was paralyzed as he attempted a tackle during the state championship game.
"This is not what you sign up to be a coach for," Matlock said. "And now, this is two times something has happened that you never expect to happen to a team."
Boatwright had been running the two-mile workout four days a week, Monday through Thursday, for three weeks as an alternative to sitting out three games, Matlock said. Students said Boatwright was being punished for throwing his helmet on the sideline during a game, but coaches would not confirm the infraction.
Thursday was the last day of the punishment.
"It was his choice to do the run," Matlock said. "He acknowledged that he broke the rules. He was more than happy to do the run because he wanted to play. All of our kids have run for something at some point. We do runs for grades or conduct -- anything."
Athletes are allowed to finish the two miles at their own pace, Matlock said. The distance can be run in 30 minutes or less. Boatwright was sprinting on the straightaways -- about the length of the football field -- and walking the curves, Matlock said.
Two miles is about eight laps around the standard 400-meter track.
"It is fatiguing, but it is not strenuous," Matlock said. "You second-guess yourself, sure, as a coach, but not being present, it's hard to specify exactly what caused it."
Principal Kathy Culbertson said she does not plan to ask coaches to stop using running as punishment.
"I think, in hindsight, our coaches use very good judgment," she said. "A coach was running with him. That is something that has been done for discipline that the coaches also believed would help him as a football player."
The player's parents and head coach Dale Keeling declined to comment.
The school does not have an automated external defibrillator, but coaches and teachers are trained in CPR. Huguley Memorial Medical Center is about five miles away on Interstate 35W, accessible by Everman Parkway in front of the school.
"The thing that we do have here is real quick access to the EMS," Matlock said. "They got here real fast."
Classes remained in session Thursday, but students were allowed to see counselors or clergy at any time. The students were informed of the death during an assembly. The football players were told in the field house by Culbertson upon her return from the hospital.
The school moved tonight's homecoming activities to Oct. 31 and canceled Thursday's subvarsity games.
An estimated 400 people turned out for a candlelight vigil Thursday night in front of the high school.
Among those in attendance were Boatwright's mother, Shannon, and father, Jerry, and his entire immediate family, teammates and other members of the student body and the community.
At the service, Culbertson said the school had received condolences from all across the state, including tonight's opponent, Venus High School.
The players voted to play tonight's 7:30 home game, an event Boatwright's family will try to attend, his brother Brian Cantey said.
Offensive tackle Omarion Bradford said the team's decision to play was inspired in part by Fulbright, who graduated in May.
"Corey and Craig were both people who like to have fun," he said. "They wouldn't want us to have our heads down. To be around Craig, you knew you were always going to have fun because he lived every day like it was going to be his last. If you were having a bad day, you could always look to him to cheer you up."
Boatwright started five of six games for the Bulldogs, who have won the past two Class 3A Division I championships. He recorded 37 tackles, three sacks, one forced fumble and one blocked kick.
He had committed to Texas Christian University. The Horned Frogs observed a moment of silence before practice Thursday.
"It's a sad day for us," coach Gary Patterson said. "We considered him one of us, and we were looking forward to the day when he would be playing here. ... We talked to him last night to make sure he was going to be at our game this weekend, and he said he would be. He was a great kid. He had a high motor and played hard all the time."
Staff Writer Damien Pierce and Correspondent Travis Richmond Contributed to This Article.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Respectfully copied from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Thank you Down Low and please keep Craig's family in your prayers.