A 17-year-old football player was found dead the day before his team was set to play their first title game in more than a quarter century
Brandon Smith, a 17-year-old member of the Manchester High School football team in Merriweather County, Georgia, was found dead on Sunday – just one day before the school was set to play in their state title game.
The Merriweather (GA) County School System, represented by Superintendent Dr. Robert A. Griffin and Manchester High School Principal Mrs. Suze Neal, confirmed the news.
They sent out a letter to students and their parents regarding Smith’s death.
“We are heartbroken to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our student-athletes, Brandon Smith,” the letter states. “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.”
Smith had likely been preparing for his team’s Georgia State 1-A Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. On the eve of what would be one the biggest days of his young life, he was suddenly gone.
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But there may be even more to the story than a missed chance at glory.
No cause of death has been given in Brandon Smith’s case as of yet. However, he had gone missing since Saturday before he was eventually discovered.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said that the site where the teen’s body was found is being processed as a “crime scene.”
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