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La Pine football player dies The Associated Press BEND -- A La Pine High School senior who collapsed before a football game last week has died from complications related to a congenital heart problem. Alex Taylor, 17, the school's senior class president, died late Monday night at St. Charles Medical Center. Taylor collapsed just before the scheduled kickoff of last Thursday's game against Sutherlin. A short time later he was diagnosed with Wolf-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital condition affecting the heart's electrical conduction system. The syndrome typically leads to fatal irregularities in heart rhythm. Many people with the condition don't experience any symptoms and would have no reason to undergo an electrocardiogram for diagnosis until a problem occurs, according to Dr. Keith Harless, who treated the teen after his collapse. Taylor had been in a coma since Thursday night and never regained consciousness. His mother, Cathy Ellingson, told La Pine Principal Rick Barber that her son began having more heart problems as medication wore off Monday evening and his blood pressure dropped to dangerously low levels. "They had decided to whisper to Alex it was OK to let go," Barber said. "They brought his football jersey in and put it on him, gave him some personal and team items, as well as a cross. They sat and read the Bible to him for a little while. The family decided to remove life-support tubes and he passed away within 10 minutes," Barber said. Many of the 450 students and their teachers had difficulty returning to classes Tuesday, Barber said. "We had a lot of kids who were very optimistic that things would work out, even though all the information was not good," the principal said. "They would say, `He's young. He'll sit up. He'll recover. He'll be back in school.' So this final news is hitting kids real hard." About 15 students, joined by Sunriver Fire Chief Era Horton, got out shovels to dig and prepare a site for a tree to honor Taylor. "Hard times don't seem to tear us apart," said Laddie Riffle, 17. "They bring us together." Ally Testerman, also 17, said, "It's like we need to cry, but we can't." A memorial service was planned for Saturday at the high school. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.