Morgan Academy junior quarterback Caden Tellier lost his life after suffering a brain injury during a game on Friday night.
The 16-year-old QB was rushed to the hospital during a high school football game against Southern Academy on Friday night after suffering the injury. Dr. Bryan Oliver, the headmaster of Morgan Academy, then confirmed that Tellier died in the hospital on Saturday due to the injuries.
“It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that Caden Tellier has gone to be with his Lord and Savior,” said Dr. Oliver. “Caden loved the Lord with all his heart and was a shining light every day he graced the halls of Morgan Academy. He was a student, a friend, an athlete and, most important, a Christ follower.”
The matchup was Tellier's opening game of the season. The injury was reported to occur during the third quarter. According to MaxPreps, Morgan Academy won the game 30-22.
While Southern Academy went on to upload their stats and highlights to the high school scouting website, Morgan Academy elected not to enter any game information for the matchup. The school uploaded a memorial dedicated to the Tellier family and a GoFundMe to help the family offset medical costs, funeral expenses, and missed time off work to grieve. The fundraiser set a goal of $75,000, with 469 donors chipping it to raise $65,775 in less than 24 hours.
Morgan Academy also reported that its school administration and pastors would meet to finalize the next steps for the rest of the school year. The school canceled student activities and meetings on Saturday to mourn the loss. Tellier's parents voiced their loss on social media early on Saturday morning. "Our boy, Caden Tellier, has met Jesus face to face. We appreciate all of your prayers, and we covet them for the hard days ahead," read the statement.
"Everyone who knows Caden has known kindness, generosity and love, and true to his nature, he is giving of himself one more time. Lives have been touched by the way he lived and now lives will be saved through his passing. We will walk out these next few days alongside him in his earthly body, knowing that his spirit is rejoicing in heaven".
Tellier was a varsity two-sport athlete, playing football and baseball from 2022 until his last game. In 2023, he started eight games for Morgan Academy and threw for 1228 yards and seven touchdowns as a sophomore. He was a dual-threat QB, also carrying the ball 99 times for 511 yards and eight touchdowns.
On the baseball field, Tellier ranked No. 2 in the AISA AAA baseball division in home runs this season . He carried a .311 batting average, way above the league's hitting average of .239, as reported by MaxPreps. Tellier hit home runs in back-to-back games against the Pickens Academy Pirates last season.
Local News
