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Alabama High School Football Player Dies Following 'Medical Emergency' During Practice

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Alabama High School Football Player Dies Following 'Medical Emergency' During Practice


A high school student from Alabama is dead after experiencing a medical emergency during football practice.

Alabama’s Coffee County School System announced on social media on Thursday, Aug. 15, that New Brockton High School student Semaj Wilkins died on Tuesday, Aug. 13. The county’s coroner’s office said Wilkins, who was a football player, experienced a “medical emergency” and was transported to the hospital before he died. 

“Semaj was a young man who brought joy and inspiration to his peers, teammates, coaches, and faculty members,” the Coffee County School System said in a statement. “His loss will be deeply felt by everyone who knew him.”

The Coffee County Coroner’s Office said that the incident is being investigated by the sheriff’s office and district attorney’s office.

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Semaj Wilkins.

Semaj Wilkins/Facebook


“This is a very emotional time for [Wilkins’] family and the Emergency Responders involved,” the coroner’s office said in its statement, adding that it asked others to “please respect and pray for the family during this difficult time.”

Coffee County Coroner Arnold Woodham told TODAY that Wilkins suffered a “medical emergency” during warmups for football practice and collapsed.

The New Brockton High School freshman was given CPR on the field while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. They arrived on the scene within minutes and transported Wilkins to the nearby Medical Center Enterprise where he was pronounced dead.

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“It’s dealt a real blow to this small community,” Woodham said. “I’ve been here all my life and this is the first time I’ve seen or heard of anything like this occurring here.”

Wilkins’ body has been sent to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for an autopsy, which may take several weeks to complete, according to Sports Illustrated

The Coffee County School System said a vigil would be held for Wilkins on Friday, Aug. 16 at 7:00 p.m. at the New Brockton High School Football Stadium. That was the location and date the New Brockton High School’s football team was scheduled to scrimmage against Barbour County, per SI

The school said in a post on Facebook that it invites everyone “to join us in celebrating the life of Semaj Wilkins and to honor his mother, Regena Adams” and “come together” to “remember the positive impact Semaj made on our community.”

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The school system also announced that it will be helping the Wilkins’ family collect payment contributions both in person and through their website to help “assist with the funeral and burial expenses.”



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Alabama’s Willy Wilcox returns to Masters in new role after overcoming addiction

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Alabama’s Willy Wilcox returns to Masters in new role after overcoming addiction


(Willy Wilcox/Instagram)

The story of Willy Wilcox begins with his mom. Kim Wilcox won over 50 tournaments as a junior golfer, was a four-year letter winner at Auburn, and finished runner-up in the 1988 Alabama State Women’s Amateur Championship. She had aspirations of joining the LPGA Tour, but life intervened. In the late 1980s, she had Willy, and by 1991, she became the club manager and golf pro at the now-defunct Pine Harbor Golf and Racquet Club in Pell City, Alabama.



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Prattville 19 year old creates Alabama Children’s Theatre

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Prattville 19 year old creates Alabama Children’s Theatre


PRATTVILLE, Ala. (WSFA) – Maggie Kervin has a passion for the theater. She started as a little girl and loved it ever since.

“I went to Prattville Christian Academy and got my start in theater there,” said Kervin.

After graduating from high school, she got a job, but noticed something was missing in her community. So, she started the Alabama Children’s Theatre. Keep in mind she’s just 19 years old.

At 19 years old, Prattville native Maggie Kervin found a unique way to give back. She started the Alabama Children’s Theatre.(WSFA)

“There’s just not a lot of opportunities for kids in theater. I really wanted to provide that opportunity.”

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Two years ago, she had $50 in her pocket and a dream. Now things are picking up steam and she’s enjoying the ride. This is for kids between the ages of five and 18. Right now, they’re working on Annie Jr.

“We’ve had so many kids why are shy and timid the first time they are one stage. When it’s their third or fourth time, they are very different.”

It’s different for her too. She’s used to being the one up on stage. Now she’s behind the computer, with them for every word, in every song.

At 19 years old, Prattville native Maggie Kervin found a unique way to give back. She started...
At 19 years old, Prattville native Maggie Kervin found a unique way to give back. She started the Alabama Children’s Theatre.(WSFA)

“I didn’t think I’d ever be in the position of running my own theater.”

The reward for Maggie, getting to see her always improving stars, continue to shine.

“It’s just so exciting to see them put the hard work into something and watch it blossom. They are so excited and so dedicated.”

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You can check out Annie Jr. this month. The shows are at the Pine Level Community Center.

She’s hoping you come see them for yourself, at the Pine Level Community Center. Here’s a link to show times and ticket prices for the end of the month. Her next goal is to find a facility of their own one day. Visit the Facebook page if you’d like to help make that happen.

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Listen to Alabama Shakes’ New Protest Song “American Dream”

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Listen to Alabama Shakes’ New Protest Song “American Dream”


Last year, Alabama Shakes returned with “Another Life,” their first original track in 10 years. Now they’ve followed it up with a protest song titled “American Dream.” Brittany Howard’s lyrics reference gun violence, abortion rights, climate change, the wage gap, and President Donald J. Trump’s White House renovations. Take a listen below.

In a press statement, Howard described “American Dream” as “a snapshot of what we’re living through in 2026.” She continued, “I look around and wonder how we got to a place where there’s so much strain and so little support. I mean, it shouldn’t be impossible to take off work so you can bring your child to the doctor—that’s actually insane. My hope is that one day people will hear this song and say, ‘Yeah, shit was crazy back then, but we made it through.’”

Alabama Shakes’ last album was 2015’s Sound & Color. Next week, the trio of Howard, Heath Fogg, and Zac Cockrell kick off a North American tour that runs through mid-June. They’ll then play shows in Europe and the United Kingdom in July.

Revisit the review of Howard’s 2024 solo album What Now.

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