Wes Leonard, 16, was celebrating a 20-0 season with his Fennville, Mich., teammates on the basketball court after scoring the game-winning shot Thursday when the high school junior collapsed. The gymnasium, which had been filled with cheers and revelry, grew silent with shock as fans watched the teenager fight for his life.
Leonard, whose mother, Jocelyn, was at the game, was transported to Holland Hospital, where he died a little over an hour later.
Dennis Geppert, The Holland Sentinel / AP
Members of the Fennville High School basketball team lift Wes Leonard after he made a game-winning play in Fennville, Mich., Thursday night. After making the shot, Leonard collapsed on the court and later died.
Holland Hospital spokesman Tim Breed was at the game. "Wes and his team were playing their last basketball game of the season and went into overtime. During the overtime period, Wes scored some points, put his team ahead and finished the game with a perfect 20-0 season," Breed told AOL News in a phone interview today. "And of course the fans are cheering and have come onto the gymnasium floor to celebrate, and then very suddenly the gymnasium got quiet and we realized there was a player on the floor. And it was Wes."
Dozens of photos of Leonard being lifted by his teammates in victory in the first moments after the basketball game, as well as a video of the teen's final, game-winning shot, underscored how rapidly the tragedy unfolded.
Thursday night, Leonard's cousin, Krys Leonard, said on her Facebook wall that Wes was in the hospital and having trouble breathing. "Black hawk down. I need prayers again," she wrote. "My young cousin, Wes Leonard collapsed at his basketball game this evening. he is in the hospital, not able to breath on his own. i love this kid to pieces. he is like my little brother!"
The death has stunned the small community of Fennville, more than two hours west of Detroit. Leonard was also the quarterback of the school's football team.
"Wes was strong and powerful, and that makes this hard to handle," Fennville Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer told The Holland Sentinel. "There's really no answer we can give when a tragedy like this happens."
Leonard's mother, a middle and high school choir teacher, is directing the musical "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at Fennville High School. Today's scheduled performance was canceled; plans for shows Saturday and Sunday are undecided.
Leonard was a star player and had scored more than 1,000 points in his high school career, according to local news reports. The game was tied at 55 when Leonard scored a layup. The Blackhawks held on to win 57-55.
Video of Leonard's winning shot, from WOOD-TV:
