Lisa Salberg
10-30-2005, 01:14 PM
This is the 2nd death in NJ in less then 1 week.
Teen's dreams of hoop stardom are cut short
Death a blow to Lincoln classmates
Friday, October 28, 2005
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Friends and family of Dayvone McClouden described the 17-year-old Lincoln High School student who died while playing basketball on Wednesday night as a young man who loved life and dreamed of one day taking to the courts as a professional.
"He was a good kid and loved sports," said his mother, Kim McClouden. "He was a ladies man. He was well-known by everyone."
Dayvone, a student in Lincoln High School's night school program, was playing basketball in the school's gym Wednesday night when about 6:15 he started to have trouble breathing and clutched his chest, school officials said.
On the way to the bathroom, Dayvone collapsed, and the school's gym teacher, athletic director and nurse rushed to administer CPR, said Deputy Superintendent Francis Dooley.
"The EMTs were there within two minutes," Dooley said. "They took over and transported him to the hospital."
Dayvone died at the school, but was officially pronounced dead when his body arrived at the Jersey City Medical Center, school and police officials said.
The state Regional Medical Examiner's Office has to make further medical studies to determine Dayvone's cause of death, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said last night.
Kim McClouden said her son had asthma and experienced heart murmurs about six years ago, but Dayvone had gotten a physical earlier this year that cleared him to participate in sports.
Dooley said the school system requires clearance from a physician for every student who participates in gym.
And playing basketball was Dayvone's joy, family members and friends said.
"He wanted to get accepted to Duke (University)," and play basketball there, his mother said. His cousin, Roshown McLeod, played pro ball for the Atlanta Hawks.
Employees at Roma Pizza and G&R Food Market, located across the street from each other at Brinkerhoff Street and Monticello Avenue, put up shrines yesterday for Dayvone. He'd worked at both places in the past two years as a cashier and stock helper.
Dozens of students at Lincoln High also wore T-shirts bearing Dayvone's picture yesterday.
Between sobs, one student said she was "just hurt" when she found out about Dayvone's death. "I thought I would be strong enough to get through today, but I'm not," she said.
Dwayne Watkins said his cousin and best friend will never leave him.
"I'm not going to say he's gone because he's still here to me," Watkins said.
Besides his mother, Dayvone is survived by his brother, John Johnson Jr., 12, and his sister, Jaquanna Johnson, 14.
Teen's dreams of hoop stardom are cut short
Death a blow to Lincoln classmates
Friday, October 28, 2005
By KEN THORBOURNE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
Friends and family of Dayvone McClouden described the 17-year-old Lincoln High School student who died while playing basketball on Wednesday night as a young man who loved life and dreamed of one day taking to the courts as a professional.
"He was a good kid and loved sports," said his mother, Kim McClouden. "He was a ladies man. He was well-known by everyone."
Dayvone, a student in Lincoln High School's night school program, was playing basketball in the school's gym Wednesday night when about 6:15 he started to have trouble breathing and clutched his chest, school officials said.
On the way to the bathroom, Dayvone collapsed, and the school's gym teacher, athletic director and nurse rushed to administer CPR, said Deputy Superintendent Francis Dooley.
"The EMTs were there within two minutes," Dooley said. "They took over and transported him to the hospital."
Dayvone died at the school, but was officially pronounced dead when his body arrived at the Jersey City Medical Center, school and police officials said.
The state Regional Medical Examiner's Office has to make further medical studies to determine Dayvone's cause of death, Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said last night.
Kim McClouden said her son had asthma and experienced heart murmurs about six years ago, but Dayvone had gotten a physical earlier this year that cleared him to participate in sports.
Dooley said the school system requires clearance from a physician for every student who participates in gym.
And playing basketball was Dayvone's joy, family members and friends said.
"He wanted to get accepted to Duke (University)," and play basketball there, his mother said. His cousin, Roshown McLeod, played pro ball for the Atlanta Hawks.
Employees at Roma Pizza and G&R Food Market, located across the street from each other at Brinkerhoff Street and Monticello Avenue, put up shrines yesterday for Dayvone. He'd worked at both places in the past two years as a cashier and stock helper.
Dozens of students at Lincoln High also wore T-shirts bearing Dayvone's picture yesterday.
Between sobs, one student said she was "just hurt" when she found out about Dayvone's death. "I thought I would be strong enough to get through today, but I'm not," she said.
Dwayne Watkins said his cousin and best friend will never leave him.
"I'm not going to say he's gone because he's still here to me," Watkins said.
Besides his mother, Dayvone is survived by his brother, John Johnson Jr., 12, and his sister, Jaquanna Johnson, 14.