One year later: Brandon football rallies around player who died due to rare genetic mutation

As Brandon wades through the early part of its fall football season, a collection of emotions is stirred. The Bulldogs are hopeful of another deep playoff run after consecutive trips to the MHSAA Class 6A championship game.

However, the start of the 2023 season is also a reminder of the tragedy that struck the program at the beginning of the football season last year. Phillip Laster, 17, died on Aug. 1, 2022, after collapsing during an afternoon football practice. Cardiac arrhythmia was the cause of death for Laster, according to the Rankin County coroner's report obtained by the Clarion Ledger.

The report states Laster died as consequence of a Triadin or TRDN gene mutation, which is "one of several different genes that can cause a type of cardiac arrhythmia," according to Emily Boothe, a genetic counselor at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The condition affects about 1 in 10,000 people.

"The tough part about this particular gene (TRDN) is that it is inherited in an autosomal-recessive way, whereas most cardiac arrhythmia conditions are inherited in an autosomal-dominant way," Boothe said.

Autosomal-dominant inheritance is easier for doctor's to track because there is a higher likely that someone in a family has had the condition before and suffered from a cardiac event. Doctors can then work up a family history and alert families that their child could be suffering from a gene mutation.

There was really no way Laster or his family or coaches could have known about his condition unless a smaller cardiac event happened before that would have alerted doctors to the gene mutation, Boothe said. If it was discovered, Laster would have been under the watchful eye of cardiologists, taking medications and would have been limited on physical activity.

"There is absolutely nothing they could have done, nothing they could have foreseen," Boothe said.

Brandon honored Laster's memory last season with "PL" decals on their helmets en route to a 12-2 finish last season. Laster continued to stay on their minds with a chance at a state title in December.

"I don't think it's going to feel right if we don't finish it for him," Quarterback Landon Varnes said in November. "It's a really sad experience. We have kids who grew up beside him every single day. We just have to finish it for him. There isn't anything else that needs to be done. We got to finish it for him."

Those reminders to play for Phillip and continue his legacy are still surrounding the program a year later.

"It's fun to see little memories of him as we go through," Brandon coach Sam Williams said. "We still have stickers around the locker room and stickers in the coach's office. At this point and time, it's just little subtle reminders about Phil."

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Nate Blount — Brandon's leading rusher — grew up with Laster and the two played little league together. He will remember Laster for always supporting the Bulldogs despite transferring from Pearl during his junior season. Brandon and the Pirates are bitter adversaries in the Eat Dirt Rivalry. The two schools renew their rivalry on Oct. 20 in Pearl.

"(Laster) was a team guy," Blount said. "I remember he wasn't even playing yet, he was in the stands sitting behind my mom and dad — I played little league with him — he had some Pearl guys sitting behind him talking trash about the team and he was defending us.

"It's crazy because that rivalry is really hard. You don't see a lot of guys come from Pearl to Brandon. It really showed how much he loved the Brandon football team."

Senior offensive lineman Brandon Elam will remember Laster for his love for the game and commitment to the team after joining during the summer of 2022.

"An excellent guy with a strong work ethic," Elam said. "Every day he's there. We know he is with us. We just have to keep fighting and keep pushing because it is what he would want us to do."

The Bulldogs are 1-2 in their leap to Class 7A under the latest reclassifications. But moving to the MHSAA's newest and largest class isn't the only focus for Brandon.

"We keep him in our minds and hearts at all times," Blount said. "That was our guy. He would come out and fight every day with us. On the field, we all sit down and pray over Phil and we know he's watching over us every day."

"It's always going to be on our minds and hearts but we know he's watching over us," Blount said. "We just pray and get through it."

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Brandon football player cause of death determined. Player honored