Here is another great inspirational story from WFAA. You can find the article here: http://bit.ly/UolMHe
AZLE – Youth groups across Azle worshiped Wednesday night and said a prayer for a 13-year-old football player.
Seventh grader Jacob McCoy was in the front row at First Baptist Church. He watched his friend and teammate Alex Templeton collapse on the field 24 hours earlier.
“The kid’s cleat got him right in the diaphragm and he landed on it,” McCoy told News 8. “He bounced right up and collapsed. His heart stopped, and he was out.”
Jacob recalled when coaches performed CPR, the stadium went silent. He said both teams locked arms and prayed for Templeton.
“When I saw him on the ground, his body was locked up. It was just so scary,” McCoy said.
He believes answered prayers were already working.
The school nurse who was just watching the game, rushed out of the stands to help coaches operate an automated external defibrillator.
“It’s a team effort, and we’re very lucky, very proud that student is doing great,” said Rita White.
White has 27 years of nursing experience and is one of Azle ISD’s certified AED trainers.
“I just saw his stomach start moving, and it was the greatest thing,” recalled coach Tim Spoonmore.
He said he ran to Templeton’s side when the opposing coach couldn’t revive him on the field.
The Templeton family has asked for privacy concerning their son’s incident and recovery. He is at Cook Children’s Hopsital in Fort Worth going through a battery of tests. The school said Alex will make a full recovery.
The gates on his football career might be closed – but the incident has opened the eyes of his teammates, and the Azle community.
“When I saw him laying there for two minutes, I just started crying,” McCoy said. “Cause I thought we lost him forever. But God works his miracles.”
Counselors were on campus at Azle Junior High South on Wednesday to help students cope with what they saw or may have heard.