Fennville: Wes Leonard, a standout player for the Fennville High School basketball team, suddenly collapsed on the court shortly after winning Thursday night's game.
A spokesperson for Holland Hospital said Leonard went into cardiac arrest after the game and became unresponsive. He was rushed to the hospital and was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m.
It was a devastating scene for the hundreds of people who attended the game.
Leonard, who was 16 years old, led the team to their 20th victory Thursday night to complete the season undefeated. He had just sunk the winning basket in overtime just before his collapse. He was also a quarterback for school's football team.
Immediately after the game, dozens of classmates, friends, and family members posted on Facebook, asking for prayers and support.
Leonard's last Facebook posting was Wednesday night when he posted "Got a good long shower...ready for bed and game tomorrow!"
An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
There were indications Wes had been ill. On March 2 in the Allegan County News, he was quoted: "Sickness has gotten to us a little bit. I stayed home all day (Friday), but I felt a little better today."
In a press conference Friday morning, Fennville Public Schools Superintendent Dirk Weeldryer remembered Wes as "a wonderful kid."
"Even with the accolades and people calling him a star ... he was very humble and down to earth, widely liked and admired."
Wes's mother is a choral teacher at the high school, supervising performances of a musical this week. "His mother is a vibrant, dedicated teacher, and I think that's going to be part of what makes this very difficult for our staff as well," said Weeldryer. Performances of the musical have been suspended
A crisis team was assembled early Friday morning, and counselors were being made available to help students, he said. "There are things you never, ever want to have to address ... particularly with a situation like this, where Wes was so widely known and respected and revered," said Weeldryer.
The superintendent said he was announcing the game Thursday night, and the crowd was especially large, since both Fennville and Bridgeman had good teams. The game had been scheduled late in the season specifically because every knew the teams would be good, he said.
(Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/fox17-fennville-basketball-player-collapses-after-game,0,1417732.story)
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