A 16-year-old Oklahoma student died as a result of injuries received during a football game on Sept. 13, according to multiple reports.
Peter Webb, a Southwest Covenant student, was injured during a football game, according to KFOR. The Oklahoman reported that Webb hit the back his head on the ground while making a tackle and suffered a head injury, rendering him unconscious. He was rushed to the Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center as soon as authorities arrived on the scene.
Oklahoma Eight-Man Football Coaches Association wrote a post on their Facebook regarding Webb’s incident on Sept. 14. The post read that Webb’s head injuries caused swelling in his head.
“Last night a young player from Southwest Covenant collapsed on the field and was rushed to the Children’s Hospital—Unconscious. The report this morning is that there is too much swelling on the brain to operate. He is in need of a miracle,” the post read.
During his time in the hospital, Webb was in a critical condition, according to The Oklahoman. The school released a statement on the morning of Sept. 14 to update the families regarding Webb’s status.
“I am so very sorry to share that medically, he is not expected to recover from swelling on his brain,” the statement read. “After a few hours at the hospital, the Webbs were given the news that there was too much damage to be operable. He has had no brain activity since arriving at the hospital.”
On Sept. 15, both the Football Coaches Association and the Principal of Southwest Covenant, Steve Lessman, confirmed that Webb had passed away, according to News 9.
“Peter is gone from this earth, yet the miracle of the gospel is more true for him now than ever. He is with the Lord. Please pray for the Webb family and may we wrap our arms around them in the coming days, months, and years. We know our students are struggling in a big way. This week will be incredibly difficult. A variety of counselors will be available at school tomorrow. Plans for the week will be coming later. Our hearts break, but this world is not our home. Praise the Lord,” Lessman wrote.
The news of Webb’s passing was a shock to the small school and community, according to The Oklahoman.
“It’s just something you never expect to happen, but we’re going to get through it like a family,” Kevin Cobbs, the athletic director, said, according to the news outlet.
There was a vigil held on Sept. 14 for Webb, where 300 people were seen in attendance, according to The Oklahoman. Cobbs said there will be a prayer service for the students and faculties of the school.
The Southwest Covenant was playing against the Strother Public School, and it was during the fourth quarter of the game that Webb sustained the injury. According to The Oklahoman, he was playing defense at the time.
Webb tackled the opposing team’s quarterback pulling him back on top of himself in such a way that Webb’s head hit the ground first, and he was knocked unconscious. A source told the news outlet that none of the players or coaches noticed anything amiss until they realized that Webb didn’t get up from the tackle.
The opposition team from Strother Public School released a statement offering their condolences, according to The Oklahoman.
“It is with deep sadness that we have learned this morning of the passing of Peter Webb, Southwest Covenant football player, son, brother, friend, family member, and teammate,” the statement read. “We ask for our Strother family to lift the Webb family, football team, and Southwest Covenant school up in prayer as they deal with this tragedy.”
