PENDLETON, S.C. -- The sudden death of a high school football player has shocked his friends and fellow players.

Avery Robinson, a freshman football player at Pendleton High School died Tuesday morning during surgery.

Robinson would have played his first football game on Thursday.

Pendleton Head Coach Paul Sutherland said, "I told the mom this morning (we were) planning on canceling the game in his honor. And she immediately said, 'No coach. We want you to play in his honor. He'd want you to. He loved it.'"

Sutherland said that Avery was a wide receiver for the Junior Varsity team. He also said he looked up to his big brother Harold, a senior defensive lineman.

Harold was the one who called Sutherland with the devastating news.

"Harold called me this morning 5:30 to let me know Avery passed at 5:17," he said.

Sutherland said that Avery had complained of stomach pain over the weekend. He died in surgery at Greenville Memorial Hospital.

"Avery didn't have bad days," Sutherland said. "He was the same Avery -- happy go lucky -- such a good spirit about him. And that's a reflection of his family."

A family that Sutherland said is grounded in their faith – the source of strength they'll depend of to get through this unexpected loss.

An autopsy will determine the cause of Avery's death.