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CARY, N.C. – As a Cary High School football player continues to recover in a local hospital, school officials are crediting the athletic trainer's quick response for saving his life.

Sophomore Michael White, 15, collapsed on the sidelines Friday night during a scrimmage at Wakefield High School. Trainers from both high schools and an on-duty physician quickly came to the rescue before paramedics arrived.

Certified athletic trainer Eric Hall was the first one at White's side.

"It was hard to find a pulse and we went from there to do CPR compressions and breaths and did hook up a defibrillator," Hall said.

Hall renews first aid and CPR certifications every year and prepares for similar emergencies.

"I guess you're so trained for it, then when it happens, you just kick in and do what you're supposed to do," Hall said.

The quick response time could have made the difference.

"I believe the athletic trainer saved this boy's life," Cary High School Principal Doug Thilman said.

But nearly one-third of North Carolina high schools go without these types of professionals due to a lack of funding.

"Anytime you have to make a decision that is based solely on money, that is a major concern," Que Tucker, with the N.C. High School Athletic Association, said. "But the reality of this however, is that oftentimes you cannot do differently because you don't have the resources."

Last year, three football and two basketball players died in the state. The NCSAA wants each high school to at least have a first responder on site. It's also pushing state lawmakers to require each school to have a certified athletic trainer.