Caroline High School student David Jones died doing what he loved to do--playing basketball.

Jones, who recently completed his sophomore year, collapsed in the high school gym Sunday afternoon soon after starting practice for his AAU basketball team.

A cause of death has not been determined pending an autopsy.

Those who knew Jones said basketball was his passion.

"He was in love with basketball," said Antoine Johnson, who was his coach for basketball and track, and his geometry teacher. "In class, even in track, all he talked about was basketball. And when he walked into a room, everybody knew he was there. He was just the type of person everyone wanted to be around."

Jones, known by his classmates as Brooklyn, had moved to Caroline County about seven months ago from New York. He lived with his grandparents in Bowling Green.

He played junior varsity basketball and ran track for Caroline High in the few months that he attended.

Caroline Principal Harper Donahoe said Jones was a well-liked, popular student at school. He said he had a sports physical on file that made him eligible to play high school sports, and there was no indication that he had any health problems.

"It's a tragic thing. We don't know what happened," he said. "The coaches noticed right away that he was nonresponsive and began CPR and called 911."

Carroll Moore, who runs the AAU team called the Caroline County Ballers, said Jones had joined the team less than two weeks ago.

His wife, Crystal Smith-Moore, said practice for the boys team had started about 5 p.m. After about 15 or 20 minutes, she said the boys were given a water break.

"They told them to take a 15-minute water break, and he just collapsed," Smith-Moore said. "All of the team and parents witnessed everything. The team is devastated. It's just a horrible experience and unfortunate for everyone."

Members of the track team last night said Jones always had a smile on his face and said the most hilarious things at the oddest times.

"It's a tough loss because we played basketball and ran track together," said rising junior Bevontae Morris. "It's hard to lose somebody that you just became so close with."

Track coach Sanberry Harvey remembered Jones as a good kid who tried to talk himself out of any situation.

"The only reason he was doing track was so that he could stay in shape for basketball," Harvey said. "He'd try to shortcut [track] if he could, but he did what he had to do after I got on him. I'm really going to miss him."

Funeral arrangements are expected to be held in New York, but a vigil may be held locally, Donahoe said. Jones' parents were en route to Caroline yesterday.

This is the second straight year for tragedy at the end of the Caroline High academic year.

Exactly a year and one day earlier, Caroline High School student Chelsea Herring was killed in a car accident in Spotsylvania County.

Portsia Smith: 540/374-5419
Email: psmith@fredericksburg.com