Five high-school football players from southern Alberta have been injured​ — three seriously — in a crash that their school division called "tragic."

The teens are from Magrath and played on the Raymond High School Comets, the Southern Alberta Minor Football Association and Westwind School Division both confirmed Friday.

RCMP are investigating after three vehicles collided at the intersection of Highway 5 and Highway 52 near Raymond on Thursday evening.

Police said Friday that they believe a northbound white truck hauling a trailer on Highway 5 collided with a truck heading westbound and entering Highway 52. A southbound car was also involved.

The five football players were in the westbound truck.

Three were transported to a Calgary hospital, two via STARS and one by EMS. Two have serious non-life-threatening injuries and one is in life-threatening condition, RCMP said Friday.

Two others with injuries that aren't life-threatening were transported to hospital in Lethbridge.

All five players remained in hospital Friday.

RCMP said a woman who was driving the car was taken to hospital in Lethbridge. A man who was driving the northbound truck was treated for minor injuries at the scene of the crash. Both were alone in the vehicles.

A news release by the Westwind School Division confirmed the students were from its area.

"Our sole focus remains with supporting those injured and their families," read the statement. "This is a heartbreaking and tragic accident, and we recognize that students and families from several of our schools and communities will be impacted by it."