My friend has an abusive dad, what do I do?!?

So my best friend and I are super close, even though we're of the opposite gender we share everything. And Ive know for a while that he has a bad home life. Ive never actually seen or heard his parents do anything while i was over, but from what hes told me, his dad is really abusive. Hes a wonderful soccer player, one of the best at my school, and yet his dad says of he doesn't push himself even harder hes going to pull him from the team. I mean my friend's so good he won best defender in the league, and they've gone undefeated etc. but because hes been pushing so hard he tore some tendons in his leg, and hes gotten really beat up at games, and now hes on crutches. Hes told me how hes been beaten, thrown into things, hit, even almost had a knife put to his throat. Ive encouraged him to stand up to his parents, but when he does, he comes in with more bruises etc. Because of his terrible home life hes been really depressed, and hes cut on multiple occasions. But if his parents ever see, they beat him and tell him they wish he were dead. I really want to tell my school counselor about this, but he begs me not to. We go to a private catholic school, and his dad pays the tuition. So if his dad was arrested for anything, im pretty sure all the beatings will constitute child abuse, he wouldn't be able to go to the school. Id much rather have him go to a public school that come home to an unsafe house, but if his dad left, his mom who also sometimes hits him, wouldn't be able to support him and his brother, and my friend would probably have to go live with a relative. The few remaining he has also seem to dislike him. Im really scared and i dont know what to do... I dont want to wake up and find that one day my best friend is dead.. but i feel i have no way to help... please please please help me.... i have no idea what to do... we are only freshman, and so he has at least 3 more years of this left... please help...