A rising Texas high school football player died tragically Wednesday after being stabbed in the heart during an altercation over seating at a track meet, with his devastated twin brother holding him as he took his final breaths. Austin Metcalf, a 17-year-old junior linebacker at Frisco’s Memorial High School, was attending a championship track event at Kuykendall Stadium when a confrontation erupted with Karmelo Anthony, a 17-year-old senior from nearby Centennial High School.
According to Frisco police, Anthony allegedly stabbed Metcalf after being asked to vacate a seat in Memorial’s team tent. In an emotional interview with WFAA, Austin’s identical twin Hunter described the horrifying 30-second encounter: “We asked him to move. He started getting aggressive…All of a sudden, he grabbed his backpack.” Witnesses say Anthony then produced a knife and plunged it into Austin’s chest.
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“They were twins, identical twins, and his brother was holding on to him, trying to make it stop bleeding, and he died in his brother’s arms,” the victims’ father, Jeff Metcalf, told NBC Dallas-Fort Worth through tears. Despite emergency CPR and blood transfusions by first responders, Austin was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
Anthony now faces first-degree murder charges and is being held at Collin County Jail on $1 million bond. The alleged attacker, a 5’10” free safety who reportedly had college football prospects, claimed on social media to have received several Division III scholarship offers.
The grieving Metcalf family remembered Austin as an exceptional student-athlete with a 4.0 GPA who was recently voted team MVP. A GoFundMe organized by his father has raised nearly $100,000, describing the teen as “a bright young man with a great future” whose “smile would light up the room.”
In a remarkable display of grace, Jeff Metcalf said he’s already forgiven his son’s alleged killer: “God takes care of things…This is murder, but I’m not trying to judge what kind of parents this child has.”
Anthony’s father defended his son to The Washington Post, insisting he wasn’t the aggressor: “He’s an A student with a 3.7 GPA…works two jobs.” He acknowledged both families’ devastation, saying “words can’t explain” the tragedy’s impact. Metcalf created a GoFundMe account to aid with his son’s final expenses. He’s raised more than $96,000 thus far.
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The incident has shaken the tight-knit Frisco sports community, where Austin was known for his leadership and infectious enthusiasm. Memorial High School counselors are providing support to students reeling from the loss of their classmate, described by coaches as having “unbelievable passion for football” and the potential to play at the collegiate level.
As investigations continue, the Metcalf family prepares to bury their son while clinging to memories of his vibrant spirit. “We will all remember him,” Jeff Metcalf said, “for the way he impacted others’ lives.”
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