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Cam'ron Matthews of Alto, Texas, becomes sixth prep football player to die this season


Cam'ron Matthews, a junior at Alto High School in Texas, has died after being injured during a high school football game Friday night.

Matthews becomes the sixth high school football player to die since early September.

Matthews collapsed on the sideline Friday evening late in the first half with what was initially reported to be a seizure. According to a witness, he told teammates in a huddle before a kickoff that he felt dizzy. The witness did not know whether Matthews was on the field for the touchdown that preceded the kickoff.

He was airlifted to a hospital in Tyler, Texas, and was listed in critical condition early Saturday afternoon.

He was pronounced dead shortly after 6 p.m. Eastern, the Alto schools superintendent confirmed to KTVU.com. A cause of death has not yet been determined.

A vigil was being held at the school's football field Saturday night.

According to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, five high school players died last season of causes directly related to football such as head and spine injuries. Seven more high school players died from indirect causes such as heatstroke.

Thus far this season, Tyrell Cameron of Franklin Parish (La.); Ben Hamm from Welseyan Christian School in Bartlesville, Okla.; Evan Murray from Warren Hills (N.J.) Regional; Kenney Bui of Evergreen (Wash.); and Rod Williams from Burke County (Ga.) have all died. All but Williams died after being injured on the field; Williams collapsed minute into a Sept. 22 practice and died Oct. 5 from what doctors believe is a congenital heart defect.