WARSAW − Coach Tyler McKee of the River View Black Bears football team said quarterback Gavin Huff is one of the toughest players he’s ever coached and he knows that tenacity will help him now.
Gavin remains hospitalized following a traffic crash on Oct. 11 that left him in critical condition. If there is any silver lining to the incident, McKee said it rallied his team and the community in a tremendous way.
Fundraisers by the football team and school have raised nearly $20,000 to benefit the junior nicknamed Ducky and his family, McKee said. This doesn’t include fundraisers others have staged, which have ranged from a lemonade stand to shirts and stickers with a Ducky logo.
The nickname came from teammates in junior high based on how Gavin ran on the football field, according to his mother, Tara Jacobs.
She has been giving updates on Gavin’s condition via Facebook, which have been reposted on the Black Bears football Facebook page. In a recent post, Jacobs thanked the community for all the cards that are filling Gavin’s hospital room.
“I cannot wait until Gavin is fully awake and alert enough to see and enjoy all the love and support surrounded around him in his room,” she wrote. “We cannot thank our local community enough for all the prayers, love and support we have received.”
Gavin Huff was injured in late night crash on Oct. 11
According to the Coshocton County Sheriff’s Office, Gavin was injured in a two-vehicle traffic crash shortly before midnight on Oct. 11 at the intersection of Ohio 16 and Virginia Township Road 288. He attempted to enter Ohio 16 from the side road and was struck by another vehicle heading east. The crash still remains under investigation.
Gavin was transported to Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. He was recently moved to the intensive care unit of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is showing steady improvement, according Jacobs’ posts.
He is in stable condition. He’s moving his eyes more, being more vocal and following basic commands. The family is working with speech, physical and occupational therapists, neurophysiologists and other specialists to determine the full extent of Gavin’s injuries, what to expect next and signs of improvement. Once that’s done a rehabilitation plan will be finalized, Jacobs stated.
Gavin is on level two of an assessment tool for those with brain injuries. A Disorders of Consciousness scale evaluates a patient’s responses in different areas like visual and auditory. Gavin could progress to a level three as his eyes are fully open and he is moving his arm, Jacobs said.
“Now that he is stable the road to recovery is determined solely on Gavin as now he is running the show. We will move at his rate with the progress shown and determine the next steps to take,” Jacobs wrote on Facebook. “His neuro checks seem to be improving more and more day by day. They’re baby steps, (but) they’re still improvements.”
Gavin also has two two major surgeries on the horizon. A cranioplasty to replace the piece of skull removed in order to save his life and a total reconstruction of his bladder.
Gavin has heart and determination
Jacobs described her son as being sociable and outgoing. He gets along with everyone, finds ways to relate to others and build friendships. While a true competitor, Jacobs also said he’s a true sportsman and shows respect to rivals from other schools.
Gavin defying the odds on his recovery doesn’t surprise McKee, who has countless stories of Gavin showing his grit and determination on and off the football field. He also wrestles for River View.
In a game against Sheridan High School, Gavin injured his shoulder and had to come out of the game. Another player with no quarterback experience had to take over.
“Gavin had a sling on his arm on the sideline and is talking to our player we threw in at quarterback trying to talk him through it and coach him through it,” McKee remembered.
That continued the next two weeks as Gavin sat out.
“As upset as he was that he couldn’t play, he was that other coach on the sideline. He was right there next to us, listening to the calls and coaching the kids up and being positive with them,” McKee said. “With our year, it would have been easy for us to crumble and give up and quit. But, because of kids like Gavin, we stuck together…He was the glue that kept us together for a lot of it.”
Fellow players asked, ‘How can we help?’
Sticking together was a theme for the season and it became even more of a rallying point after Gavin’s injury. McKee is amazed how the students have pulled together and responded.
It was the players who conceived the idea of a pancake breakfast, which raised about $8,000 in just two hours.
“They didn’t sit in a corner and cry. They stood up and said, ‘How can we help? What can we do?,'” McKee recalled. “The majority of our kids are never going to go on and play football past high school, but 100% of our kids are going to be out in the community and making a positive impact. They got to see first hand what happens when a community rallies together.”
Jacobs said the family doesn’t have any specific needs at this time, but they’re grateful for everything everyone has done so far.
“To see everyone pull together for Ducky has been truly inspiring and continues to provide us with hope and comfort each day. It has allowed us to focus our time and energy on Gavin and his recovery,” she said.
Donations for the family can be made through the school district via the Black Bear Legends Fund. Find @blackbearlegendsfund on Venmo and put #duckystrong in the comments. Updates on Gavin and information on fundraisers can be found on the Black Bears football Facebook page.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 17 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Gavin Huff’s family thanks community for love, prayers and support after Oct. 11 crash
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
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