A player on the Westlake High football team, senior Julius Poppinga, died Wednesday at a local hospital after suffering a severe asthma attack, according to a report.
Poppinga (6-foot-1, 220 pounds), who played on the team’s offensive and defensive lines, was hospitalized last week because of an asthma attack, and he “apparently incurred a collapsed lung in the hospital and never recovered,” according to the Ventura County Star.
“On behalf of the entire Westlake High School community, we send our deepest condolences to Julius’ family, friends, teammates and everyone who had the pleasure of knowing and interacting with him,” Westlake High principal Jason Branham said in an email sent out to the school community. “At Westlake and throughout CVUSD, one of our greatest strengths is our caring and close community, which makes it all the more important that we continue to support and be there for one another in this incomprehensible time of loss and sadness.”
Poppinga also played on the school’s lacrosse team.
Westlake’s football team is scheduled to host Thousand Oaks on Friday night.
The Westlake Football family wants to send our deepest condolences to the Poppinga Family. Julius was a beloved member of our team and will be greatly missed by the entire tribe. https://t.co/3e3Hv5thMX
— WHS Football (@_WHSFootball_) August 30, 2023