EXCLUSIVE: Blake Barklage's Family, Friends Speak After La Salle College High School Senior's Tragic Death
SPRINGFIELD TOWNSHIP, Pa. (CBS) -- An emotional story you'll see only on CBS3. The father of the La Salle College High School senior who died suddenly after a soccer game is talking about his son, who was loved by so many.
Blake Barklage will be buried Thursday but his spirit for helping others lives on.
On Saturday night, 17-year-old Blake died suddenly from a cardiac incident.
"You hear those words that no parent ever wants to hear. 'Blake is dead,'" Tom Barklage said.
The La Salle College High School senior and soccer team manager had no prior health conditions and was out with his teammates celebrating their Catholic League championship win when he collapsed.
"I remember coming off the field and giving Blake the biggest hug," classmate Hayden Grosso said.
"The moment he hit the floor I could just see it in his eyes that something was wrong," classmate Kyle Adriaansen said.
Paramedics rushed Blake to the hospital but he never woke up.
"You see the doctors coming around the corner, and the main doctor is in tears," Tom Barklage said.
Blake's younger sister found out later that night, one week before her 16th birthday.
"I would just say thank you for always being there for me and showing me the way," Alexis Barklage said.
Now, her big brother's friends have vowed to step up in his place.
"It's just surreal to have eight new older brothers," she said.
"We all just want to be there for her," Emmett Boyle said.
Following in Blake's footsteps of service.
"That was his goal. How can I help others?" Tom Barklage said.
And in a final act, one that even surprised his dad, Blake found a way to do just that.
"We get a phone call from the Gift of Life and they said, 'your son signed the back of his license that he wanted to be an organ donator.' And I never knew that," Tom Barklage said.
Blake's donation is expected to impact more than 70 people. His legacy will not be soon forgotten.
"I know that my daughter Alexis and all these all these guys right here have an angel always looking out for them. And that means a lot," Tom Barklage said.
Right now, Gift of Life has more than 5,000 people in the Philadelphia area waiting for an organ or tissue donation. Click here to register.