Sarah Ellis leads a prayer for Kaiserslautern High School football player Aiden Wall on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, on the school’s football field. Wall is in critical but stable condition after suffering a medical emergency on Friday in a junior varsity football game against Stuttgart. Hundreds of community members turned out for the vigil Sunday, including parents of fellow football players, such as Ellis. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — Hundreds of community members are rallying in support for a Kaiserslautern High School football player reported to be in critical but stable condition in a German hospital after experiencing a medical emergency in a Friday game at Stuttgart High School.

Fellow players, coaches, parents, students and school personnel attended a prayer vigil Sunday at KHS Babers Stadium for Aiden Wall.

Wall, a sophomore, was playing center for the Raiders in a junior varsity game against the Panthers when the emergency occurred, said several people at the vigil. Details on how the emergency happened were unavailable Sunday.

Bill Conley, a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and the senior aerospace science instructor for the KHS JROTC program, said he visited with Wall and his family Saturday. Wall, he said, is a second-year JROTC cadet with aspirations of attending one of the service academies after graduation.

“He’s in critical but stable condition,” Conley said. “Every day, every hour is getting better and better for him.”

Nearly 400 stickers with “#73 STRONG,” the jersey number for Kaiserslautern High School sophomore football player Aiden Wall, were handed out during a prayer vigil on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, at the high school. Players and the cheerleading squad plan to wear the stickers at Friday’s upcoming homecoming game against Lakenheath to show support for Wall. Wall is in the hospital after experiencing a medical emergency during Friday’s junior varsity football game against Stuttgart. (Jennifer H. Svan/Stars and Stripes)

Students and community members write messages of support for Kaiserslautern High School sophomore football player Aiden Wall and his family. Wall is in the hospital after experiencing a medical emergency during Friday’s junior varsity football game against Stuttgart. Hundreds from the community, including players, parents and coaches from Kaiserslautern, Ramstein and Wiesbaden, attended a prayer vigil for Wall on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, held at the high school’s stadium. (Athienna Shaffner)

Wall was rushed to the hospital as his condition progressively worsened, Conley said, after he appeared to be injured.

A spokeswoman for Defense Department schools in Europe confirmed a KHS player “experienced a medical emergency during the game.”

“The player received immediate medical attention and was transported to a local hospital,” spokeswoman Jessica Tackaberry said in a statement Sunday. “We are in close contact with the family and offer our full support. Our thoughts and prayers are with the players and his family as we hope for a full recovery.”

Nearly 400 stickers with “#73 STRONG,” Wall’s jersey number, were handed out during the vigil. Players and the cheerleading squad plan to wear the stickers at Friday’s homecoming game against Lakenheath to show support for Wall, said Athienna Shaffner.

Shaffner and fellow parent Stephanie Sullivan organized the vigil.

“We just wanted to do something,” Shaffner said. “You feel helpless. The only power we have is the power of community and prayer.”

During the vigil, Wall’s teammates gathered on the 50-yard line and spoke to Wall as his mother held up a phone to him in his hospital room, Shaffner and Sullivan said.

A box containing about 200 index cards of handwritten supportive messages for Wall and his family will be delivered to Wall and his family at the hospital, they said.

“She said he was responding. That’s what we all need to hear,” Shaffner said.

Stars and Stripes reporter Mathew Wagner contributed to this report.