JV HS Football Player Hospitalized with Spinal Fractures After Violent Hit Caught On Video [WATCH]

A Michigan high school junior varsity football player was hospitalized after suffering two fractured vertebrae during a game when a much larger opponent landed on him with full force, as reported by The New York Post.

The incident occurred on Thursday evening during a matchup between Lakeshore High School and Kalamazoo Central High School.

‘Horrifying’ incident leaves Michigan high school football player with spine fractureshttps://t.co/WOwp5CWZXI

— Cotton Candy Skies (@andtonsofalibis) September 20, 2025

The injured player, identified as 15-year-old Colton of Kalamazoo Central, was tackled during a play and brought to the ground. Video recorded by fans in the stands shows a Lakeshore player initially making a standard tackle.

However, as Colton remained curled up on the turf, the larger Lakeshore athlete stood up, turned, and launched his full body weight back onto him, flattening the smaller teen.

Colton was carted off the field and taken to a nearby hospital, where doctors diagnosed him with two spinal fractures. His mother, Courtney Mims, told local outlet WSBT that her son was placed on muscle relaxers before being released from the hospital.

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Mims, who was present at the game, described the emotional toll of seeing her son injured.

“As soon as it clicked that it was, I couldn’t be stopped. I had to go down there. I’ve never felt anything like it. I’ve never been as upset or shaken up as I was over something for my son.”

She added that the boys dedicate much of their time and energy to the sport.

“These boys are high school boys. They’re 15 years old. The game means a lot to them. It’s their whole life right now. They’re there from before I get up to go to work in the morning till after dinner, putting in the work and for somebody to try to take that from somebody doing so much is awful for me to see.”

Doctors have ruled Colton out for the remainder of the season and are still determining whether he will be able to play football again in the future.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association and the two schools involved issued a statement confirming that the incident is being “resolved internally.” It remains unclear whether the Lakeshore player involved will face disciplinary action.

:
Teen lineman BREAKS SPINE of 15-YEAR-OLD with intentional slam during Lakeshore Highschool football game.

The video was taken by the mother of the child injured whose spine broke in two places.

Straight to JAIL.

pic.twitter.com/8uP471039W

— Polymarket Football (@PolymarketBlitz) September 21, 2025

In a show of support, Kalamazoo Central’s varsity football team dedicated their victory over Lakeshore the following day to Colton. The team won the game 26-7, and a Facebook post celebrating the win read, “This was for Colton.”

The incident adds to growing concerns about the safety of high school football.

During the 2024 season, several players across the country suffered serious or fatal injuries. In Alabama, one teenager was airlifted after a head injury in the season opener and later died at the hospital. In Los Angeles, a 16-year-old sustained a brain injury during a tackle in September and died a week later.

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