High School

High School Football Player Dies Days after Suffering 'Medical Emergency' During Practice

A North Texas high school football player died Wednesday after being hospitalized following a medical emergency during practice, the district confirmed

Levi Payton

A Texas high school football player died on Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency Monday during afternoon practice.
A Texas high school football player died on Wednesday after suffering a medical emergency Monday during afternoon practice. / Brian Calloway | Lansing State Journal

Preston Malone, a 15-year-old football player at Lancaster Early College High School, died Wednesday morning following a medical emergency that occurred Monday during afternoon practice, district officials said.

Per Fox 4 News Dallas–Fort Worth, Malone, a junior varsity team member, told a coach Monday that he was not feeling well during drills. Athletic trainers were called over and they began treating him, following UIL heat-safety protocols, including placing him in a cold tub to lower his body temperature. After showing signs of improvement, he was transported by EMS to Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. He died Wednesday, the district said.

On Monday, Aug. 18, temperatures in Lancaster reached a high of 96 °F, according to AccuWeather. Reports from the Associated Press noted that “feels-like” temperatures climbed above 105 °F in parts of North Texas.

The University Interscholastic League (UIL) requires each member school to include heat-emergency procedures in its emergency action plan, including rapid cooling measures such as cold-water immersion tubs or equivalent methods. Schools must provide rapid cooling zones when the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) reaches 80 °F or higher, and ensure unrestricted access to water. WBGT readings must be taken prior to and throughout outdoor practices.

High school football players face significantly elevated risk: they are 11 times more likely than participants in other sports to suffer exertional heat illness, per information in a report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The majority of such incidents occur in August, coinciding with preseason practices. Nationwide, at least 58 high school football players have died from exertional heat stroke between 1992 and 2024, with recent trends pointing to increasing danger from rising temperatures.

Lancaster ISD confirmed that its athletic training staff followed all district and UIL heat-safety protocols, including adjusting practice times, using indoor facilities, maintaining hydration stations, monitoring real-time heat conditions, and ensuring certified trainers were on site.

Following Malone’s death, the district canceled football practices for the remainder of the week and a scrimmage scheduled Thursday against North Forney. Grief counselors are being provided to students and staff.

Superintendent Dr. A.K. Perera said in a statement: “Our hearts are broken, and we extend our deepest condolences to the student’s family, friends, classmates, teammates and teachers during this unimaginable time of loss. We ask our community to join us in keeping the family in their thoughts and prayers.”

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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