Gaynor, 18, who plays for Port St. Joe High School, fell before halftime of a road game against Liberty County High School. He was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
Authorities have not released Gaynor’s cause of death.
Jim Norton, bay area school principal Said Gainer collapsed and became unresponsive while returning to defense after being cut off from water. Norton He also said he was unaware of any pre-existing medical conditions Gaynor might have had.
Norton also expressed condolences on Gaynor’s passing. “He was an outstanding young man who could be called a hero,” Norton told CNN. “I considered Chance a friend.”
On the night he died, Gainer scored two touchdowns and contributed to the team’s victory. His death deeply affected the small community of Port St. Joe, where the local high school has about 500 students.
“School staff, friends and community clergy gathered at Port St. Joe High School in the wake of tragedy “Support each other and support the families who have joined them upon their return to town,” Norton said in a statement.
Gaynor recently visited Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he hopes to play football. “He made the grade and was excited about the academic opportunities that Vanderbilt could provide him,” Norton told CNN.
The chancellor’s untimely death has left his parents, siblings and the entire community in mourning.
Norton added that his parents, siblings and his junior high school sweetheart, a cheerleader on the football team, all remember Chance.
main Cissy Godwin Gaynor is described as warm and quiet. “You may not hear Chance’s voice in the crowd, but you can see his smile from across the room,” she said in a statement, according to CNN.
The National Federation of State High School Associations reports that six high school student-athletes have died in the past month from various causes, including heart problems and injuries. Gaynor’s death increased that number.
In the past month, three U.S. high school football players have died since the start of the new school year. On August 13, Alabama teenager Semaj Wilkins died of a medical emergency during practice at New Brockton High School. On the same day, 16-year-old Caden Terrier suffered a serious brain injury in the season opener and 13-year-old Keon Craddock died after a collision during training.
