It was an uppercut to the nose Jeff Ketcherside will under no circumstances forget about.
Ketcherside wasn’t boxing when his nose and septum were being shattered on March 30. The Grandview baseball head coach was standing a couple feet absent from a pitching device as it introduced pop ups at home plate for his catchers all through observe. In some way the machine’s flight angle transformed, shooting the ball straight at his nose.
“It knocked me back again and I took a few actions and went to my knees,” he mentioned. “I went to the backstop and felt my nose. I could tell it was broken, but it was bleeding so undesirable I explained to my assistant mentor (Greg Gutknecht ) to connect with 911.
“The young children observed it and arrived operating and a person of the boys named 911. The other kinds ran to the dugout to get T-shirts and rags to place around it.”
What Ketcherside remembers most clearly from that working day is not the unexpected shock of the accident and all the blood he lost. It is how his players reacted to what was a accurate emergency.
Grandview R-2 Superintendent Matt Zoph was nevertheless on the campus in rural Hillsboro and viewed the players just take action as they waited for paramedics from the Valle Ambulance District to arrive.
“It was a really scary situation, but the (players) have been definitely the heroes that working day,” Zoph claimed. “Their quick action and potential to react beneath stress is a little something they need to all be very pleased of. It’s wonderful to see when the daily life classes we’re taught in sporting activities translate to a genuine-earth scenario. When I appear again, I’m so happy of those people boys!”
The Eagle gamers alternately used impromptu bandages as they soaked up Ketcherside’s blood and cleaned his encounter with drinking water. Other players unfold out to the entrances on campus, guiding the paramedics to the scene.
Austin Gallaway will be a senior at Grandview this fall. He was the Eagles’ starting up catcher this spring and was standing next to Ketcherside when he was strike.
“He was shooting (balls) straight up in the air,” Gallaway mentioned. “When he obtained strike, he fell down and we ended up doubtful of what to do at first. I ran to my truck down at the parking ton. It is the speediest I have operate in my everyday living. I named 911. At the beginning of the day, I had a weird sensation that I need to have experienced my cellphone with me. We experienced men in the parking great deal to immediate the ambulance and we had other guys searching for a professional medical bag.
“I was in shock at the time mainly because it is anything you really do not see at baseball follow. I was so proud of how everybody reacted. When we got dwelling, we texted each individual other about it.”
Sophomore Levi LaLonde was in the outfield when he recognized one thing was wrong.
“The ball came up and we all saw it strike him and we sprinted towards him,” LaLonde explained. “When I got to the on-deck circle I noticed his experience was bloody. I experienced an extra shirt to wipe off the blood and made use of a h2o bottle to clean off his experience. A bunch of fellas appeared for bandages to assistance him out. We flagged down the ambulance so we could help him out.”
Ketcherside, who reported he was bleeding “like a stuck pig,” joined his gamers in trying to get enable on hand.
“We had been the only types at university,” he mentioned. “We went to the other properties to come across one more trainer or administrator. They bought some ice from 1. They received a medical kit, ice and rags. Austin talked to the 911 dispatcher. Others moved automobiles out of the way so the ambulance could travel proper up to the field.
“It was a complete workforce effort. The way the boys reacted was the finest factor that happened this year. They had been shook up, but they acted as young gentlemen. They overcame their worry to do what experienced to be carried out.”
Ketcherside was transported to Mercy Healthcare facility South, where he was dealt with for a damaged nose and launched that evening. He mentioned whilst he has issues respiration by one particular of his nostrils, he’s waiting for the new college year to commence before he has medical procedures to restore the problems.
The medical center workers advised him he was fortunate he was not strike somewhere else on his head.
“It could have been a lot worse,” he mentioned.
The day after the incident, Grandview played at Valley Large in Caledonia. To his players’ shock, there was Ketcherside bundled up versus the chilly, sitting down beside the dugout and putting on sunglasses to shade his black eyes. He did not overlook coaching a sport the rest of the time.
Most likely encouraged by the sight of their mentor, the Eagles gained 4-1 with junior pitcher Eric O’Brien tossing a no-hitter and sophomore Trenton Cookerly contributing two hits. Cookerly was named to the all-Jefferson County Actions Association small faculties to start with staff this spring.
“I advised the boys to be prepared (to participate in Valley) due to the fact I would be all set,” Ketcherside said. “I went to the game but could not be in the dugout. I required to make positive the boys observed me there.”
LaLonde, Gallaway and Ketcherside all agreed that the incident introduced the group nearer with each other.
“Everyone reacted earlier mentioned how I anticipated,” LaLonde said.
As he was staying carted off to the healthcare facility, Ketcherside had a message for Gutknecht.
“I said, ‘Wait a minute, mentor, we’ve acquired a further hour of apply.’
“Some of the mother and father advised me the youngsters had been worried, but I wished to simplicity that by telling them we however have a occupation to do.”
