GONE TOO SOON—Jeff Ramsey chokes back tears himself as he comforts his son Oliver, 9, at a candlelight remembrance for 10-year-old David Sumner, Oliver’s best friend and teammate on the Simi Valley Vikings football team. David (inset) collapsed while practicing with the team on Thursday and died on Friday at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Hundreds of young suited-up football players and their families gathered on the Vikings’ home turf at Apollo High School Saturday to remember David Sumner, a 10-year-old boy whose smile and heart touched people both on and off the field.

David died the night before, taken off life support a little more than 24 hours after collapsing on the practice field.

According to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office, David died from an acute subdural hematoma, the result of a serious head injury sustained during practice.

CAN’T HOLD BACK—Vikings players, from left, Logan McDermottBreskin, Kiernan McGuire and Thomas Meneray tear up after speaking to the crowd of thousands about their fallen teammate. Simi Valley Vikings football and the rest of the Gold Coast Youth Football League cancelled all games that day out of respect for the family. Teams traveled from across the region, from Santa Clarita to Ventura, to grieve over the sudden loss of one of their own.

Usually, these men-in-the-making are rivals on the field, but as the sun set and the memorial service got underway, they became a united community.

Sitting in the bleachers was David’s team, J-1 White. Wearing their jerseys, the boys sat in front of a hand-painted sign that read: “In Loving Memory of David Sumner, 1999-2009.” Looking out, they could see the massive crowd that had assembled on the field for David, a tenacious lineman who’d played with the Vikings since he was 5½ years old. The scoreboard was set to 18—David’s number.

It was only two days earlier that tragedy had come to the grassy field that’s been home to the Vikings since the 1960s.

According to accounts from coaches and parents, David collapsed on the ground toward the end of practice on Thurs., Oct. 8.

According to team mom Lina McGuire, the squad was practicing an offense versus defense drill. David had the ball and, as he ran down the field, he was tackled normally. His father, Bart Sumner, the team manager, was on the sidelines and asked his son if he was okay. David said he was.

He got back in line to play defense, and while running down the field he collapsed, McGuire said. Paramedics were immediately called and David was taken to Simi Valley Hospital, where he underwent tests. He then went into surgery to relieve pressure on his brain.

David was in critical condition after surgery and was later transferred to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. He was declared brain dead, and on Friday, the Sumner family decided to take him off life support.

Originally, the gathering at Apollo was intended to be a candlelight vigil and prayer session in hopes of David recovering, Vikings president Bill Dobbs said. Instead, it turned into a memorial.

Those who knew David remember a loving, happy kid.

“David was one of the players in the whole organization with the biggest heart, always trying,” Dobbs said. “He never gave up.”

McGuire agreed, saying David was like a ray of sunshine.

“He was a child that everybody loves,” she said. “He always had a smile on his face.”

He had a passion for football, too.

“It wasn’t something that his dad or mom pushed him to do. It’s something he wanted to do,” McGuire said. “He was always first at practice.”

David’s coaches shared similar memories. When his head coach, Mark Betancourt, went to the microphone, he struggled to hold back his tears.

“For those who knew David, he was a good football player and an even better individual,” he said. “He was a leader, even though he was one of the youngest. It’s not just the J-1 White team that’s affected by this, it’s us as a whole . . . we lost one of our own yesterday.”

Betancourt’s sons also worked with David, whom many described as somewhat outspoken—never fearful of questioning a coach’s call or pointing out an error in the playbook.

Matt Betancourt, an assistant coach and former player, said that when he first met David in the Mighty Mite division he saw something special in him.

“At first, David wasn’t very coordinated,” he said with a laugh, “but the heart inside him was amazing. I used to call him Lionheart.”

During the memorial, several of David’s teammates came up one by one to share their thoughts. Some said they’d at first underestimated their freckle-faced lineman—then he impressed them with his power and determination. Many said they admired him.

“I only knew David for about three months, but he was one of the best players I’ve ever met. One of the best people I’ve ever met,” Camden Rose said.

“David would always give 110 percent,” Brandon Sattler said. “He’d always try his hardest and do whatever it took. . . . David didn’t deserve this.”

Though his teammates remember him as a great player on the field, they also remember David as a great friend.

“He was my best friend for a long time and we’re going to miss him,” said 9-year-old Oliver Ramsey.

David’s parents, Bart and Leslie Sumner, found it too difficult to speak at the memorial but asked Vikings vice president Richard Rogero to read a statement.

They said David was a brilliant student in the GATE program at Sycamore Elementary School and that he loved anything to do with numbers. And while he reveled in competition—he also played baseball and basketball and was an avid video gamer—he enjoyed volunteering, too.

“David was an extremely loving big brother to his sister, Abby. . . . He was a gentle soul that never had a bad word for anyone,” the statement read. “He will be missed more than we can express.”

At the conclusion of the memorial, the crowd formed a huge circle around the perimeter of the field. In the glow of hundreds of candles, J-1 White did a final lap for their beloved teammate.

Then they sent up one last cheer for David.