Leonard, who played basketball as a freshman and then spent two seasons as a starter, led the Blackhawks throughout the 2010 season. Schipper had expected Leonard to take his talents into college athletics at some level, although his prospects were unclear. "Everybody around him played better, because he was a leader and the best athlete." "He had a personality that, when people were around him, they played better," said Tim Schipper, Leonard's football coach. When he reached Fennville High, Leonard really took off, playing as a starter for three years on the football team, first as a receiver, then as a quarterback and defensive end. You'd think with his star potential, because he's so gifted, he'd be cocky, but he never really was that way," VanHuis said. "He was just the kid that everybody loved, and there isn't a mother on Earth who doesn't feel feels."Ĭhad VanHuis, who once umpired Leonard's middle-school baseball games, remembered opposing coaches asking to see his birth certificate. "When I saw him pitch, I told my boys, `You better move back in the box just a little bit,'" Lepior said of the boy she called "Big Man Wes." Vicki Lepior, who owns a roofing company, used to coach baseball against Leonard when he was a fourth-grader. He was a top performer in baseball and football, too. Many who knew Leonard said he was destined for athletic greatness from a young age. Students made signs in tribute to Leonard and planned to display them in the hallways. Delivery trucks dropped off trays full of flowers. Grief counselors were available Friday for students at the school. Lawrence, which was scheduled to host the game, said the school would donate all proceeds to Leonard's family or a charity of their choice. The game, against Lawrence High, has been moved to Hope College in Holland, Mich. On Saturday, school officials announced the team had decided to play, and all proceeds from the game will be donated to Leonard's family or a charity of their choice. The Fennville team is scheduled to compete in the Class C district playoffs Monday. He did not immediately return a call from The Associated Press. "Why at this event as opposed to another basketball or football game, I don't know," Start told the Grand Rapids Press. Medical examiner David Start said the stress Leonard placed on his heart through athletics could have played a role, but his death could not be easily explained. "It shouldn't have been like this," teammate Adam Siegel said. An autopsy conducted Friday by the Ottawa County medical examiner showed Leonard died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart. Leonard was rushed to nearby Holland Hospital, where paramedics performed CPR before he was pronounced dead. everything's pulled out from under you, from out of nowhere." "Thirty seconds earlier, he was laying in the winning bucket," said Ryan Klingler, basketball coach in Fennville, about 200 miles west of Detroit. That's when the 6-foot-2, 215-pound Leonard collapsed, with an estimated 1,400 fans watching. Some began scrambling to organize a team photo that would commemorate their undefeated record. The final shot gave Fennville High a 57-55 victory over Bridgman High and a 20-0 regular season.Īfter the teams exchanged handshakes, Fennville players celebrated. On Thursday evening, Leonard sent the ball through the hoop from close range with less than 30 seconds left in overtime. "He was a good kid, a good friend to have and a good person to hang around with," DeMarcus McGee, who played football and basketball with Leonard, said between sobs. Packed bleachers suddenly stunned by an event that made basketball seem a distant, unimportant memory.Ī day after Leonard died from an enlarged heart, this small town near Lake Michigan remembered an "all-American kid" whose athletic heroics had been local legend since middle school, when opposing coaches sometimes asked to see his birth certificate, not believing someone so young could be so skilled. The next: Wes Leonard on the gym floor, his enlarged heart failing, his life fading just a few moments after his victory layup. Teenagers triumphant, crowds cheering, the district playoffs ahead, the future open wide. The star player, just 16, lifted off the floor in celebration. One moment: a perfect shot to end a perfect season. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserįENNVILLE, Mich.
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