When football official Tim Hunsaker was inadvertently hit by a Middie linebacker, he collapsed on the field near the Sycamore sidelines, said Mariah Woodward, an athletic trainer who worked the game with Corbin Shatto-Craft.
Sycamore trainers were the first to reach the official. Woodward said Hunsaker was conscience and breathing, but the severity of his injuries was unclear, she said.
“It was obvious he was in distress,” she said.
Facing the Middletown sidelines, Woodward crossed her arms, signaling an “all call” — which was established this school year — to JD Foust, the MHS athletic director, and the coaching staff. Foust immediately called 911, and some of the coaches grabbed medical supplies and raced across the field.
A Middletown EMS squad, typically not at Barnitz Stadium for football games, happened to be there and Hunsaker eventually was placed on a spine board and transported to Atrium Medical Center.
The medical team was cautious because of the unknown.
“We didn’t want to make it worse,” Woodward said.
Hunsaker sent an email to Foust days after the game.
In part, it read: “I have very little recollection of what happened but my crew said that your medical staff took very good care of me. Please pass along my appreciation for their professionalism and quick response to my situation/needs.”
Woodward, who has worked at Premier Health since 2020 and MHS since 2021, said athletic trainers practice their emergency action plans each season, ensuring they’re fully prepared for any emergency, including injuries involving more than student-athletes.
“There are so many things that can go wrong on a Friday night,” she said while sitting in the MHS training room. “Obviously our eyes are on the Middletown students.”
The athletic trainers and the Middletown EMS spent three days this summer reviewing possible scenarios and how to address those emergencies. The football staff attended one session, Woodward said.
Then, during the second home game of the season, all that practice paid off. Days later, Woodward and Shatto-Craft reviewed their actions. They wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“It just all worked out real nice,” Woodward said. “All the dominoes fell into place. It was very rewarding to see a plan work.”
Besides Middletown, Atrium Medical Center partners with Fenwick, Carlisle, Edgewood, Franklin, Lebanon, Madison and Monroe high schools.
The Journal-News periodically runs a “Good News” story in the Sunday edition. If you have a story idea, send it to contributing writer Rick McCrabb at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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