Teen Dies In JV Football Game

WARREN (CBS) - Holding a picture of his handsome, smiling 16-year-old son in his football jersey, John Ellsessar said, "That's my boy. That's my hero...He just a real all-star. He's my hero and I miss him terribly."

Ellsessar says neither he nor his wife were there when their son Mike collapsed early in a junior varsity game against Quaboag Regional High School in Warren Monday afternoon.

He was playing for the Oxford High Pirates because his school, Sutton High, does not have a football team. Both schools lowered their flags to half-staff.

"He caught a pass, got hit, went to the ground, was told he got up and then collapsed back down on the field," explained Ellsessar. "The EMTs rushed to him, tried to resuscitate him, performed CPR unsuccessfully, put him in the ambulance. They took him to Mary Lane hospital in Ware where a team of surgeons, cardiologists and nurses worked on him for about 45 minutes. I got a call from the head coach, Jeff Parcels, who's a dear friend and loves Michael and we rushed out there and unfortunately, Michael passed away."

Ellsessar says his son had Type I diabetes which did not stop him from playing varsity football for Oxford, hockey for Northbridge, track and field for Sutton. The three schools share sports.

"The doctor said we had a better chance of getting hit by lightning. It happens 50 times across the country per year...When your heart's beating and kind of that skip in between that's when he got hit according to the surgeon at Mary Lane Hospital," said Ellsessar.

Grief counselors were available at the schools where Mike Ellsessar was popular. He was an honor student and played in the band. "It's a school of 400 students, so everybody knows each other. He was a very popular young man and so it's really hit the community very, very hard," said Ted Friend, Superintendent of Sutton Public Schools.

Allen Himmelberger, the Oxford Superintendent and Kevin Wells, Oxford High Principal, said Mike Ellsessar would probably have been a captain of his team. He was also active in church. "He was the ultimate athlete. He played the three sports. He played life to its fullest. He played his game to the fullest. He tried his hardest at everything he did," said family friend Dean Messier who was Mike's confirmation mentor.

"He's a great kid, loves his friends, loves his family, loves his sisters (neighbors) next door, his girlfriend, Carly, his best friend Alex and a whole bunch of buddies: his teammates, his band mates...Hug your kids, if you have them, watch out for them and God be with them. " said John Ellsessar.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said Ellsessar's death appears to be a tragic accident after a preliminary investigation.

State Trooper Joseph Hilton, who happened to be officiating the game, performed CPR until an ambulance arrived.