Tragedy struck the gridiron again. A 16-year-old high school football player went down during practice and later passed away. Northside ISD shared the sad news on Saturday, February 14, leaving the football community shaken. 

“As the community mourns the loss of Stevens High School junior Jaren Lawson, questions are being raised about medical preparedness and safety protocols during off-season athletic workouts,” reported News 4 San Antonio on X. 

Off-season practice is something both college and high school football teams look forward to. The mishap took place at Stevens High School, San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday, February 10. When he collapsed, the athletic trainers from the school assessed him at the scene. Later on, the medics took the high school student to the hospital. The Bexar County Medical Examiner has yet to determine the official cause or manner of death. 

According to Northside ISD, in the early reports, there is no evidence that the high school player communicated any health issues to the coaching staff about not being able to take part in the practice. Rather, going by the interviews, the coaches gave him a heads-up that he had the option to opt out since the high school mentors knew that he had been sick the day before. 

Northside ISD confirmed that Lawson had full access to water during the session. And as soon as the high school player showed distress, students, coaches, and athletic trainers rushed to provide him immediate medical help. 

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“Northside ISD is committed to a transparent and exhaustive investigation,” the district spokesperson, Barry Perez, said. “We ask for the community’s continued patience as we work to verify every detail, ensuring that all final conclusions are based on a complete and accurate record of events.”

According to a player on the field, the team was running standard off-season conditioning with Coach Anthony Boykin. They participated in a high-intensity football drill that included “up-downs” to push the athletes’ potential a bit more. As the high school students participated in the drill, Lawson began showing signs of distress during the exercise.

“He’s getting slower, his eyes are closing, he’s stumbling around,” a fellow student said.

Lawson reportedly had caught flu-like symptoms lately. That’s what made his sister, Zamira, question how the high school allowed him to practice even after knowing his health conditions. 

“When I heard about him not feeling good, I was like why was he even at practice? ‘” she said. “I don’t understand how he was allowed to participate in practice, saying he doesn’t feel good.”

Lawson’s incident reminds high school fans of Mikah King, a sophomore at Arabia Mountain High School. Last year in July, the 15-year-old faced a medical emergency in practice and passed away after being taken to the hospital. 

Beyond academics and football, Jaren enjoyed selling clothes. To his friends, he was a charismatic person and a favorite among all. Students have set up a memorial by the football field, leaving flowers, a stuffed animal, and a candle to honor his memory. Meanwhile, the Stevens athlete’s passing marks the second heartbreaking loss for Northside ISD in just one week.

Early-morning accident claimed a high school student’s life

According to the reports, a 15-year-old high school student, Ziba Mir Shadad, was involved in an accident on February 9. It happened in the early hours at 5:30 a.m. in the parking lot of an apartment complex off Danny Kaye Drive near Oakdell Way.

The San Antonio Police Department reported that a garbage truck driver was traveling southbound on his usual early-morning route after collecting trash from a nearby residential area on a private road. The high school student reportedly jumped in front of the truck. Perez later confirmed that the girl was a 10th grader at John Marshall High School. 

Neighbors reported to WOAI that the girl was seen running through the parking lot just before the incident. However, the police told KENS they have yet to find anyone who directly witnessed the collision.

In February, another Marshall High School student, My’Kari Jacobs, passed away. The reported cause of her death is s- – – – – -. With this, the high school world is mourning consecutive losses that have shaken the entire community.