11 December 2023 , 17:48
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A high school football player in Georgia was found dead the day before he was due to play in a state championship game.
The player was named by authorities as 17-year-old Brandon Smith after his body was found on Sunday. A statement by Meriwether County School System confirmed the death and said: "We are heartbroken to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our student-athletes, Brandon Smith.
"Manchester High School's celebration of playing for the Georgia 1-A State Football Championship has unfortunately turned into something none of us could have fathomed. Brandon was a loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field. He will be deeply missed."
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Brandon was as an offensive and defensive lineman in the football team (11Alive)"The circumstances behind this tragedy are still being investigated and will be shared publicly by local authorities. We continue to pray for Brandon's family, friends, teammates, and classmates. Manchester High School will have mental health support available starting on Monday morning."
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The student attended Manchester High School and was reported missing on Saturday in a since-deleted Facebook post by his football coach. While the cause of death has not been released at the time, reports NBC News.
Police at the scene of Brandon's death on Sunday (WTVM)Brandon was a sophomore at the school in Manchester, which is around an hour and a half south of state capital, Atlanta. He played as an offensive and defensive lineman with the football team and was due to travel to Atlanta for a game against Bowdon at 7pm on Monday night in the Class A Division II final, which is the school's first championship game since 1997. A high school spokesperson said that the game at the Mercedes-Benz stadium will still be taking place.
Brandon was due to play at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Monday evening (Getty Images)Touching tributes were shared on social media as Manchester Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed they were assessing the scene at the time. Melanie Baswell, a family liaison at Troup County School System (Meriwether's neighboring county), knew Brandon and posted a request on Facebook asking friends to join her in praying for his family, friends, and team.
She wrote: "He was a sweet, loving, compassionate and all-around amazing kid who should have been playing a state championship football game. To know him was to love him and when he smiled you knew he loved you back. Cheering for the Manchester Blue Devils football team tomorrow-Do it for Brandon."