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Deaths cast shadow over high school American football

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Over the past 20 years, 77 students have died from direct injuries sustained during high school gridiron games, an average of just under four each year

Los Angeles (AFP) - A spate of tragic fatalities has underscored long-running concerns over safety standards in high school American football, where more players die each year than at any other level of the game.

Evan Murray, a 17-year-old quarterback at Warren Hills Regional High School in New Jersey, became the third player to die in as many weeks after suffering a lacerated spleen in a game last Friday.