HS Football Game Ends After Three Injuries on One Play

A Virginia high school football game ended prematurely after three players suffered head and neck injuries when they collided on the same play.

Friday night’s game between Goochland and Buckingham ended with more than 6 minutes to play in the fourth quarter of a running clock and Goochland leading 49-8. Three Buckingham players collided when they attempted to tackle a Goochland player who slipped. Two Buckingham players suffered neck injuries and the other one had a head injury, Virginia sports website Scrimmage Play reported.

All three players were taken off the field in ambulances to a hospital in Richmond, Va. Buckingham head coach Josh Wallace rode along in one of the ambulances.

“You don’t ever want to see a player go down like that on any team,” Buckingham assistant coach Thomas Sykes told Scrimmage Play. “That’s a tragic moment, not just on our side but on both sides of the ball.”

Both teams later met on the field and had a moment of prayer, and the game was halted.

Compelling show of sportsmanship by Buckingham and Goochland as both teams get together. pic.twitter.com/tXZnETSdjP

— scrimmageplay (@scrimmageplay) October 8, 2016

“Football is a physical game, not a contact sport but a collision sport,” Goochland coach Joe Fowler said. “That was a heck of a collision where our kid kind of slipped to the ground and all of their defenders came together and hit each other.”

Goochland reported on its Twitter page Saturday that all three Buckingham players were released from the hospital.

Wanted to pass along that all 3 of the Buckingham players have been released from the hospital. 2 this morn & 1 last night.

— Goochland Football (@GHSFootball) October 8, 2016