Horror as Virginia high school football star, 15, dies in front his teammates after collapsing at practice

Published

2 years ago

August 9, 2024

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Horror as Virginia high school football star, 15, dies in front his teammates after collapsing at practice

By Joe Hutchison For Dailymail.Com

Published: 18:34 BST, 9 August 2024 | Updated: 18:54 BST, 9 August 2024

A high school football star died in front of his teammates after suffering a heart attack during practice.

Jayvion Taylor, 15, was around 40 minutes into practice on Monday night at Hopewell High School when he collapsed after a water break.

Two coaches attempted CPR on Taylor and dialed 911 with paramedics arriving and taking him to a hospital where he died.

Taylor was a 10th grade student who played football for the school, which has since remembered him as being a ‘genuine and remarkable student’.

His coaches and teammates also shared similar sentiments about the teenager.

Jayvion Taylor, 15, was around 40 minutes into practice on Monday night at Hopewell High School when he collapsed after a water break

Taylor was a 10th grade student who played football for the school, who have since remembered him as being a ‘genuine and remarkable student’

Speaking with WTVR, fellow player Orrin Besley told the outlet: ‘He was straight positive, like one of the best guys I’ve ever know.’

Teammate Cory Seacat had been on the field when Taylor collapsed, saying: ‘I went to the back of the field, and I saw everybody around here.

‘[I] couldn’t get close to him. I heard it was Jay, we had to take a knee. They told us to get to the locker room. We just prayed.’

While classmate Chase Stith added: ‘I thought he still was going to make it, and fight through this, because he’s one of the strongest people I know, I thought he was going to make it through it.

‘It didn’t matter who you were. If you were one of the most known people of the school, or if you were somebody who wasn’t talkative, he would try to get to know you and understand you.’

A statement from the school said: ‘This 15-year-old young man was considered one of the most genuine and remarkable students our staff have ever worked with.

‘He was considered a ‘light’ to all who met him and left a lasting impact.’

Two coaches attempted CPR on Taylor and dialed 911 with paramedics arriving and taking him to a hospital where he died

His family have also since confirmed that Taylor passed away after a heart attack, telling CBS 6 they appreciated the community support.

Head coach of the Virginia Tech college football team Brent Pry said during an unrelated press conference that he sent his prayers were with the community.

Pry said: ‘I’m not sure how many of you are aware… about the tragedy there yesterday with one of their young football players.

‘I can’t imagine for that team, the coaches, the players, the high school, the community … so thoughts and prayers there with [the coach] and his team.’

Earlier in the week, classmates and family gathered in the school gym to honor the teenager with a balloon release scheduled on Saturday night.

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Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2026

Press Room

Did you know West Virginia has an official state gun?

CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — West Virginia has plenty of state symbols, be it the black bear as the state animal, the cardinal as the state bird or the rhododendron as the state flower, but did you know that the Mountain State also has its own official gun?

The Hall Flintlock Model 1819 was first manufactured in Harpers Ferry by John H. Hall in 1811 and was adopted by the United States Army in 1819, making it the first breech-loading rifle ever adopted by a country’s military.

Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution
Model 1819 Hall Breechloading Rifle presented by Congress to Gustavous A. Bird for his participation in the Battle of Plattsburgh 9/11/1814 by John C. Bird via the Smithsonian Institution

All of this information is listed in Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, which was introduced and passed during the 2013 West Virginia Legislative session, and officially recognizes the Model 1819 as the official firearm of the State of West Virginia.

On top of being created in West Virginia, the resolution also points out that the rifle saw use during the Civil War, an event that directly led to West Virginia’s statehood.

While having an officially recognized state firearm may seem far-fetched, West Virginia is not the only state that has one. As a matter of fact, a fifth of the states in the country have officially designated a state firearm, including West Virginia’s neighbors in Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

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Virginia

Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

Published

14 hours ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Tech HC James Franklin Gives High Praise For Clemson’s Dabo Swinney

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In this world of college football, with the transfer portal and recruiting battles, bad blood is present more than ever before between head coaches.

That’s not the case between the Virginia Tech head coach and Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney, however. In fact, Franklin revealed at ACC Kickoff on Thursday that the two are actually close friends, dating back to their time at the Nike trip that various coaches take over the summer.

“Dabo’s my guy,” Franklin said on Thursday. “We go way back. We’ve been on the Nike trip for a long time. His wife and my wife are friends.”

The long-time Penn State head coach is making the move to the ACC after being fired from the Nittany Lions in October. 12 seasons of being with the program had Franklin hold a 44-21 record against top 10 opponents, an impressive record for a new conference foe of Swinney’s.

But when that trip comes around, there’s a camaraderie between Swinney and Franklin and both of their wives. In fact, the two hang out with each other instead of the other coaches at times. It simply comes to an “edgy” time in college athletics that raises tempers.

“I’m going to be honest, I wouldn’t say we’re necessarily like the type of people that love a lot of other coaches and a lot of other programs,” Franklin said. “It’s hard when you just compete year-round.”

On Swinney’s end, there are a few who could immediately come to mind among Clemson fans. Perhaps the most recent would be Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who played the most significant role in the tampering of former linebacker Luke Ferrelli.

It’s a select list of coaches who make the good side of the Tigers’ head coach, and Franklin is certainly on that list. On the other hand, Hokies’ head coach has Swinney on his own shortlist.

“Obviously, tremendous respect for what he has built at Clemson and what he’s done at Clemson, and what he’s done for the ACC,” he said.

The two will see that close relationship face off at Memorial Stadium this upcoming season. Clemson will host the Hokies on Oct. 24 in what could be a potential title-eliminator for the ACC Championship.

Of course, the last game that we’ve seen the Tigers play in was against Franklin’s former team in Penn State at the Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl. That game ended in a 22-10 contest that saw a foundation of Franklin players end Clemson’s season in disappointment.

Swinney will see many of those players once again in October, including starting quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, in that contest. The anticipated Hokie starter recorded 260 yards and two passing touchdowns on the Tigers in the Bronx that day.

Although friends become foes, another ACC coach has given Swinney his flowers for what he’s been able to do for the conference. In the upcoming moments, Franklin will look to prepare his team to prove itself on one of the biggest stages in the ACC, while Swinney looks to put his team back at the top of a conference he’s dominated for over 15 years.

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Virginia

Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions

Published

1 day ago

July 16, 2026

Press Room

Drought emergency declared for parts of Virginia; governor warns of water restrictions

MARTINSVILLE, Va. (WSET) — Extreme drought conditions in parts of Virginia have prompted an emergency drought warning for a wide swath of the region, including Bedford, Campbell, Charlotte, Franklin, Halifax, Henry, Mecklenburg, Patrick, Pittsylvania and Roanoke counties, along with the cities of Danville, Roanoke, Salem and Martinsville.

The governor has warned that if conditions worsen, she will activate mandatory nonessential water-use restrictions.

In Martinsville, city leaders have issued a voluntary water conservation notice and are urging residents and businesses to cut back where they can. The request comes as local businesses that rely heavily on water say the drought is already affecting day-to-day operations.

SEE ALSO: Botetourt County residents adjust daily routines as voluntary water restriction continues

John Hughes, owner of John’s Car Wash, said the dry conditions have hit his business hard in recent weeks. “For the last 3 weeks, it’s been hitting pretty hard. We done three yesterday and haven’t done anything today with the drought and hot weather. Yeah, I’m really concerned about it,” Hughes said.

Restaurants are also feeling the strain. David Kitzmiller, an owner of Be Wiched, said water is essential for routine tasks such as washing dishes and preparing some menu items.

“We use a lot of water for washing dishes and some of our recipes if they limit us in anyway defiently can’t produce and its a scary aspect,” Kitzmiller said.

Kitzmiller added that cutting back is not always realistic for businesses that must meet sanitation needs. “Not really feasible for a business that depends solely relies on water to wash their dishes, so that can’t definitely be an impact there,” he said.

City leaders emphasized that the conservation request is voluntary for now, but they are encouraging everyone to do their part by taking shorter showers, turning off the faucet when it is not in use, washing only full loads of laundry, and limiting outdoor watering whenever possible.

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