West Virginia middle school student dies after sustaining injury during football practice

A West Virginia community is mourning the loss of a middle school athlete who died Saturday, one day after he was injured in football practice.

Cohen Craddock, an eighth-grade student at Madison Middle School in Madison, West Virginia, died on Saturday after sustaining injuries during a Friday football practice. Madison is located about 30 miles outside of Charleston, the state capital.

Joseph Smith, executive director of the Boone County Ambulance Authority, told local news station WSAZ that medics responded Friday to Madison Middle School to treat a football player who sustained a head injury.

Cohen was then taken to a hospital for further treatment; a day later, on Saturday, he succumbed to his injuries. The Boone County Ambulance Authority, who responded to his injuries posted a memorial for Cohen on their Facebook page.

“Today we’re all Redhawks and our hearts are heavy with the unimaginable loss of a bright young athlete in our community,” the post said.

The Boone County Schools Superintendent Matthew Riggs released a statement of behalf of the schools. 

“The entire Boone County Schools’ community is beginning to mourn the loss of Cohen Craddock, an 8th-grade student at Madison Middle School. As a Redhawk, Cohen was loved by his classmates, his teachers, his administrators, and the entire Madison Middle School staff,” the statement said.

An outpouring of support came following the news from nearby communities with Roane County High School posting a memorial on their Facebook page.

Schools around the US mourn fallen athletes

Cohen's death in West Virginia is the most recent in a handful of cases that have generated headlines around the country as football season is getting underway, including some with unique circumstances.

In Alabama, Caden Tellier, the quarterback for Morgan Academy in Selma suffered a brain injury during the team's home opener on Friday and died the following day. Tellier's death followed that of New Brockton 14-year-old Semaj Wilkins, who suffered a medical emergency during an afternoon football practice on Aug. 13 and passed away.

In Kansas, 15-year-old Ovet Gomez-Regalado died two days after suffering a medical emergency in an Aug. 14 practice at his high school outside of Kansas City.

And in Hopewell, Virginia, Javion Taylor, 15, died after doing about 40 minutes of light drills on Aug. 5.

Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected] and follow him on X @fern_cerv_.