A high school football game in Pennsylvania was suspended Friday night after a quarterback collapsed in the middle of the contest and was then rushed to the hospital.
Played in Butler County, the game was between Redbank Valley High School and Karns City High School. Mason Martin, who is the quarterback for Karns City, started to stagger during the third quarter, with referee Mike Vasbiner noticing it, according to the Butler Eagle.
“I had to talk to him, and when I asked if he was alright, he told me, ‘No,’” said the referee to the news outlet. “So, that’s when I knew something was wrong.”
Then, Martin collapsed and was rushed to Pittsburgh‘s UPMC Presbyterian Hospital by helicopter. As a result, the game was called off and Redbank Valley was named the winner as they were leading 35-6 at the time of the incident.
Prayers: A Pennsylvania high school is saying they need a MIRACLE after their QB collapsed on the field and is in critical condition.
Ref Mike Vasbiner spotted the Karns City quarterback Mason Martin starting to stumble during the third quarter.
Martin’s family said that their… pic.twitter.com/rTgRrFkCS5
— MLFootball (@_MLFootball) September 3, 2023
Speaking to KDKA-TV in Pittsburgh, Martin’s parents said their son suffered a “significant brain bleed as well as a collapsed lung.”
On social media, Karns City’s football team published an update from Martin’s mother.
“Mason remains in critical condition with little change over the last 36 hours,” read the post Sunday. “The truth is we need a miracle. I’m not saying that to sound grim, but to let you know that we need the strength of your prayers.” (RELATED: American Heritage High School Football Player Timothy Burroughs-Love Suffers Cardiac Arrest)
“No one believes in this kid more than us, but he needs everyone’s strength and prayers. Right now, we have to wait for the swelling to go down to assess the extent of the damage to the brain.”