A Seguin High School freshman football player appeared to suffer a medical emergency during a game at Matador Stadium the week of October 5, with video circulating on social media showing him slumped and unresponsive as staff members held him upright and spectators repeatedly called for an ambulance. In the footage, a football staff member can be heard appearing to ask, “are you going to pay for that ambulance?” as the tense scene unfolded on the sideline.
The videos were reported by MySA. Seguin is located about 35 miles east of San Antonio.
According to the MySA report, the footage shows staff members beginning to remove parts of the player's football uniform as he remained unresponsive. A spectator identified by Facebook user Gynna Burns Hernandez as the player's parent and an emergency medical technician jumped a barrier and approached the group on the field.
Bystanders Describe a Chaotic, Drawn-Out Scene
Hernandez wrote on social media that the player sat between two staff members for several minutes before his head slumped to one side and staff began removing his pads, a sequence of events relayed in the same MySA report. A Facebook user identified only as Delia alleged the entire incident lasted about 10 minutes, writing, “i'm so disgusted after today's game. i can't believe how negligent seguin isd staff was.”
Seguin ISD leadership said it was gathering information about the incident and would investigate further, according to the district's statement relayed by MySA. The district also said no additional information was available at the time.
What the District's Emergency Plan Requires
Seguin ISD's Athletic Training Emergency Action Plan says the athletic trainer identifies emergencies requiring critical intervention and helps determine transport decisions. The plan says ambulances may be coordinated for home football games and directs EMS to Matador Stadium's northside gate off Cedar Street. The same document designates Guadalupe Regional Medical Center on East Court Street as the primary hospital for emergency transports from the stadium. UIL materials describe coach safety training and school safety drills.
In June, Seguin ISD appointed Gary Gutierrez as athletic director and head football coach at Seguin High School. It is not yet known whether this incident will factor into any review of those procedures, as the district has said only that it is gathering information.
A Season Already Marked by Disruption at Matador Stadium
This is not the first disruption to freshman football at Matador Stadium this season. On August 27, a swatting call prompted a campus evacuation and forced the cancellation of scheduled freshman games, according to Seguin Today.
High school sports safety discussions include catastrophic injuries and AEDs. Effective August 1, updated UIL guidelines also began requiring Texas high schools to maintain rapid-cooling zones with cold-water immersion equipment for outdoor athletic activities held under elevated heat conditions.
Why the Ambulance Remark Struck a Nerve
Ground ambulance transports were excluded from the federal 2020 No Surprises Act, and Texas patients can face out-of-network ambulance bills. That potential financial exposure helps explain why spectators reacted so sharply to any suggestion that cost might factor into a medical response.
