Independence High quarterback paralyzed, coach says
BY ZACH EWING, Californian staff writer zewing@bakersfield.com
Less than two days after leading Independence High School’s football team to a dramatic opening-night victory, 16-year-old quarterback Tyler Schilhabel of Bakersfield suffered an ATV accident on the coast Sunday, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down in Stanford Hospital.
Schilhabel, a junior, was in surgery early Monday to repair spinal-cord injuries. Independence coach Sean McKeown said doctors needed 36 hours after surgery to allow swelling to subside before they could re-evaluate.
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Alex Horvath / The Californian Independence football QB Tyler Schilhabel
Kristin Hokit and Tyler Adkins hug each other after Tyler spoke about his friend and teammate Tyler Schilhabel at the press conference held in the Independence gymnasium on Monday afternoon.
Kristin Hokit, left, Tanya Nguyen, Amanda Camorlinga and Taylor Adkins sadly listen at the press conference about the health status of quarterback Tyler Schilhabel held in the Independence gymnasium on Monday.
Wesley Brown, left, listens as Kenny Wiley talks about his friend and teammate Tyler Schilhabel while coach Sean McKeown and Tyler Adkins also listen during the press conference held in the Independence gymnasium on Monday afternoon.
“The long-term prognosis is uncertain — and I’d like to stress uncertain, because it’s not confirmed one way or another — but as of right now, Tyler is paralyzed from the chest down,” McKeown said Monday morning. “The next 36 hours (are) crucial to his recovery, and the family asks for your continued prayers for Tyler and (his) family.”
McKeown said Monday afternoon that Schilhabel remained in Stanford’s intensive care unit in a medically induced coma. His family, including older brother Drew, a senior running back and linebacker for Independence, were with him.
McKeown said he was told doctors “said it looked a lot better than they originally thought” after surgery.
That bit of promising news wasn’t changing many moods on a somber Independence campus busier than normal on Labor Day. Word of the accident spread fast throughout the student body, through phone calls and text messages. By Monday, there was a Facebook page called “Pray For Tyler Schilhabel” with more than 400 members.
“It’s devastating beyond words,” said junior wide receiver Kenny Wiley, who said he has known Schilhabel since second grade. “We’ve played football together since we were little. We’re praying for his family. We’re all behind him. We hope the best for him.”
The accident occurred Sunday in Pismo Beach. A spokesman for the San Luis Obispo County sheriff’s department said the incident was reported shortly after 3 p.m.
Michael Lack, a supervising state park peace officer, said the accident occurred in the main riding area of Oceano Dunes State Vehicular Recreation Area, which is part of the state parks system. Park rangers, lifeguards and search-and-rescue crews responded. The victim was believed to have head and neck injuries, Lack said.
Shilhabel was initially taken by ground ambulance to Arroyo Grande Community Hospital, he said.
Schilhabel was one of Independence’s stars in its Week 0 win against Clovis North on Friday. He passed for 241 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 51 yards and another score in the Falcons’ 21-19 victory.
McKeown said Schilhabel also is a model student with a 3.8 GPA and a campus leader who is serving as commissioner of school spirit at the three-year-old school.
“I’m devastated,” McKeown said. “Tyler is a great human being, first and foremost. I couldn’t think of a better person, a better student, a better friend, a better teammate in my 11 years of coaching.”
The Falcons practiced Monday morning and plan to play their home game Friday night against Ridgeview.
“We’re always going to be thinking about Tyler while he’s hurt,” Falcons junior lineman Wesley Brown said. “But Tyler, as the person he is, he would want us to go on and do better for ourselves. He would be mad if we didn’t practice. He's just a go-getter like that.”
The players plan to wear “No. 8” stickers on their helmets, and they’ll design T-shirts to support Schilhabel.
“You’d never expect it would happen to one of your friends or family members,” senior Tyler Adkins said. “It’s just a tragedy it had to be him. We just talked about how he would want us to go out and get a win for him. Even though he’s not there physically, we know he’ll be there mentally.”
Meanwhile, players and coaches said there are plans to visit Schilhabel at Stanford as soon as he’s well enough to see them.
“The big thing with Tyler is that he’s so young; he’s so strong,” McKeown said. “He has a never-say-die attitude, and if there’s one person that can come back and make a full recovery that will defy any kind of odds against him, it is Tyler.”
— Californian staff writer Gretchen Wenner contributed to this report.
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