Jersey Shore High School football player passes away

JERSEY SHORE, PA – The Jersey Shore Area School District Saturday posted word that Max Engle, the Jersey Shore High School senior who collapsed at the football team’s Sept. 8 game, has passed away.

The district shared this moving goodbye from the Engle family:

We would like to begin by sharing our immense gratitude and appreciation for the love and support given to our family in this difficult time. The huge outpouring of thoughts and prayers have been of great comfort to us during this time. Max has been fighting hard throughout this week, but he needed to move on to fulfill a greater purpose. On Friday, September 15th, he joined the Lord and those who loved him and have gone before him. Please know he felt all your love and prayers.

Through his life, he has tried to bring people together. We feel he has been bringing people together during this time of uncertainty. We choose to believe he is proudly smiling at this unification of community. The generous gifts you have bestowed upon our family will be used to honor Max as well as to move forward a message of togetherness, community and love.

Max was a warrior on the football field and fought hard to earn a place amongst his Brothers in Orange. He had respect for his coaches and competitors. Above all, was his loyalty to his teammates. We are thinking of them during this time and are also praying for all those who have been affected by this tragedy.

Max was lucky to have a close group of friends that were like family. We are holding them close to our hearts.

Our family feels immensely blessed to have spent 17 beautiful years with Max. It is difficult not to feel cheated, but we are trying to focus on how fortunate we are to have had him in our lives. He will be greatly missed every single day and we know he will be with us in everything we do. Although Max’s next adventure is not what we thought, we know he is doing greater things than we had hoped for him.

Love,

Josh, Heather, Maddy, Travis, and Evelyn

The young man’s collapse and hospitalization had brought an immense outpouring of sympathy and support from high schools and communities from all across the state.