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A "very careful review" of the football practice at which a Stafford High School lineman became ill, and subsequently died, has not revealed any wrongdoing by athletic officials, interim Superintendent Andre Nougaret said yesterday. The review is ongoing.
Based on the school district's preliminary findings, "it's apparent that our coaches and our support staff at the school did everything that they possibly could," he said. "But again, we need to go over every last detail and review everything from beginning to end."
He said he hopes to finish the review by the end of the week.
Joey Roberson, a 16-year-old junior, passed out at the end of his team's second three-hour practice last Tuesday, a day when the high reached 90 degrees. He died Friday at Inova Fairfax Hospital.
School officials say they haven't confirmed the cause of death. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, Roberson's was the fourth football-related death in the past month. All but one appeared to be heat-related.
Roberson received an academic letter for his 3.8 grade point average and loved to hunt and fish, according to his obituary. He was the son of Kenneth and Sherry Roberson.
Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Thursday at Found and Sons Funeral Chapels-Cremation Service. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Stafford High School, followed by interment at Sunset Memorial Gardens Cemetery.
The funeral plans prompted officials to cancel a scrimmage scheduled for Friday.
After taking off most of last week, players yesterday resumed their normal practice schedule. They worked out in helmets and shoulder pads from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and in the afternoon from 3:30 to 6:30--just their third full practice as a team.
The practice's format didn't change from last week, said athletic director Wes Bergazzi.
"It was good for the coaches and the kids to get back on the field and to a sense of routine," he said.
Sophomore lineman Alex Belman, 15, son of School Board member Robert Belman, said it helped take his mind off the tragedy.
"The team seemed to handle it well," said Belman, who first met Roberson in middle school.
Central office staff will interview coaches and the team's trainer as part of the review, schools spokeswoman Valerie Cottongim said. She said she's not sure whether they will interview players.
"It's just a review of what happened, when, who was involved and whether they were doing the things that their training and everything else tells them they should've been doing," she said. Nougaret officially called for the probe yesterday morning, she said.
Falling short of calling it an investigation, Nougaret said he hopes the inquiries will give officials a "clearer picture of what transpired."
"Obviously, the safety of our children is our foremost priority," he said. "We'll see what the information reveals."
School Board member Belman said he's concerned about the emotional well-being of the coaching staff, whom he says he respects.
"I just hope people don't forget that they have feelings, and this is heavy on them, too," he said. "I know they're taking it very hard."
To reach JEFF BRANSCOME:
Email: jbranscome@freelancestar.com
