High school football player dies after 'medical emergency' during practice

A Texas high school football player has died after suffering a "medical emergency" at practice, according to Lancaster Independent School District officials.

Preston Malone, a 15-year-old student at Lancaster Early College High School, died on Wednesday, two days after he experienced the emergency at practice, school district officials announced on Wednesday.

"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," A. Katrise Perera, the superintendent for Lancaster Independent School District, said in a statement.

During football practice on Monday, Malone was completing drills of 60-yard sprints when he alerted a coach that he "was not feeling well," and the coach noticed the 15-year-old was not sweating, school officials said during a press conference on Wednesday.

As soon as the coach realized the player was not perspiring, he notified the athletic trainer, placed the 15-year-old in a cool tub and took his temperature, which read to be 104 degrees, school officials said. After "a few minutes," paramedics were called, school officials said.

Once on the scene, paramedics took the teenager's temperature, which had gone down to 102 degrees, school officials said. Despite showing "signs of improvement" and never losing consciousness, paramedics moved Malone from the cool tub to the ambulance for additional testing and then transferred him to a local hospital, school officials said.

Malone's athletic trainer and coach followed the ambulance to the hospital and they notified his mother of the situation, school officials said.

After arriving at the hospital, Malone told his coach he was "sorry for not finishing his workout" and he told the athletic trainer "he was going to be OK."

"It was at that moment that that was our last communication with our student," school officials said.

School officials said they were "hopeful for his recovery, but his condition changed overnight" and he died on Wednesday morning.

Athletic trainers did "an exceptional job" following heat "procedures and protocols," school officials said.

"Our staff was immediate. They did what I would want anyone to do for if it was my child or any other child," Kimberly Simpson, the chief of communications for Lancaster Independent School District, said during a press conference on Wednesday.

Due to the warm temperatures in Texas, coaches decided to keep football practice indoors on Monday, officials said. Players were also allotted five water breaks -- each two minutes long -- but were also allowed to grab additional water at other times, officials said.

While the indoor facility did not have an HVAC system installed, the space had four "large garage door areas" that are "always lifted up" along with fans to circulate air, officials said.

Officials also said the players were only wearing shoulder pads and shorts during this practice.

Malone's official cause of death has not been released. School officials said they are asking the community to "join us in keeping the family in their thoughts and prayers."

"No one ever wants to be in this position. As a mother, I never want to call a family and share that their kid is not safe in our building [or] our facilities and something has happened to them," Perera said during the press conference.

Grief counselors are available at Lancaster High School and "across the district for students and staff" through the end of the week, officials said.

The school district has canceled football practices for the remainder of the week, officials said.