A talented teenage football player was found dead on the eve of his high school’s first state championship game in 26 years.
Brandon Smith, who was 17, was discovered on Sunday, authorities said, although they have not yet revealed his cause of death. Local media channel 11 Alive said the teenager, from Manchester, Georgia, had been reported missing by his coach on Saturday.
Smith had been due to star in the Georgia 1-A State Football Championship on Monday, playing for Manchester High School against Bowdon High School at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is used by the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for their home games. The match had been particularly eagerly anticipated because it was his school’s first championship game since 1997, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Instead, Smith’s Blue Devils teammates and school friends have been left reeling, after “heartbroken” principal Suze Neal shared the news of his death on the school’s website.
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“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our student-athletes, Brandon Smith, ” the Manchester High School principal wrote in a joint statement with school superintendent Robert A. Griffin.
“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.
“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.
“Brandon was a loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field. He will be deeply missed.”
The school has not yet announced whether the championship game will still go ahead or whether it will be cancelled as a mark of respect.
Newsweek has reached out to the school by email seeking clarification, and has also emailed Manchester Police Department requesting further information and comment about Smith’s death.
News of the tragic discovery was shared online by journalists, and 11 Alive reporter Cody Alcorn shared a photograph of Smith working out in a gym, along with shots of a home on 3rd Street believed to be connected to the death. Police were investigating the scene on Sunday afternoon, 11 Alive reported.
“Meriwether County football player dies on eve of team’s state title game,” Alcorn posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday, adding: “17-year-old Brandon Smith’s body was found this morning. His coach posted on FB [Facebook] on Sat., he was missing.”
The missing persons post was deleted on Sunday morning, Alcorn said.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation confirmed that Manchester Police Department had asked its officers to conduct crime scene processing in connection with the case, according to Channel 2 Action News.
Tributes were paid to Smith online as people reacted to the news late on Sunday night.
Melanie Baswell, who works as a family liaison at Troup County School System (Meriwether’s neighboring county), knew Smith and posted a request on Facebook for friends to join her in praying for his family, friends, and team.
“He was a sweet, loving, compassionate and wholesome kid who should have been playing in a state championship football game tomorrow,” she said. “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.”
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