SPORTSSPORTSSPORTSThursday, Feb. 2, 2012 | Sports Editor: Joe Wilson | 270-887-3260 | [email protected]
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Kentucky addsquality, quantityon signing dayAdisappointing 2011 campaign for the University of
Kentucky football team ended with optimism lastfall.
While the Wildcats stumbled to a 5-7 fin-ish, including a 2-6 mark in SoutheasternConference play, and failed to qualify for apostseason bowl for the first time since2005, Kentucky defeated Tennessee 10-7 inthe season finale. The win snapped theWildcats’ 26-game losing streak to therival Volunteers.
But then, as the high from the winbegan to subside, reality crept in for headcoach Joker Phillips and his staff.
Two-time first-team All-SEC linebackerDanny Trevathan, who led the team andthe conference in tackles for the secondstraight season in 2011, is gone. Safety/line-backer Winston Guy Jr., another leader andall-conference staple on the Kentucky de-fense, also has run out of eligibility.
The Wildcats have to replace all three starting lineback-ers and have a plethora of needs in the defensive secondary.
On the offensive side, Matt Roark, a receiver who filledin at quarterback against Tennessee after both MorganNewton and Maxwell Smith were sidelined with injuries,
FOOD FOR
THOUGHT
KEITHJENKINS n
NATIONAL SIGNING DAY
SEE FOOD, PAGE B3
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) —Quarterback Patrick Towlesis the headliner for Ken-tucky’s signees as the Wild-cats filled all 25 spots in theincoming recruiting classwithin a few hours duringnational signing day.
Towles, Kentucky’s 2011Mr. Football, completed 171of 279 passes as a senior for3,820 yards, 42 touchdownsand one interception. He ledHighlands High School tothree straight state champi-onships.
Head coach Joker Phillipss e c u r e dTowles’ ver-bal commit-ment lastApril andstayed int o u c hthroughoutthe quarter-back’s sen-ior season
as offers from other schoolsflooded in.
Towles headlinesUK recruiting class
INTERNET PHOTO
Highlands quarterback and 2011 Kentucky Mr. Football Patrick Towlessigned a national leter of intent Wednesday to play at Kentucky.
INSIDE:
More fromnational
signing dayB3
SEE UK, PAGE B3
IN THIS SECTION
TV B4ASK AMY B4MY ANSWER B4THAT’S THE TICKET! B5COMICS B6CLASSIFIEDS B7
PREPGirls’ Basketball
CHRISTIAN CO.AT HOPKINSVILLE 7:30 P.M.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
SEMOAT MURRAY ST. 7 P.M.TENNESSEE TECHAT AUSTIN PEAY 7 P.M.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
MARISTAT MANHATTAN 7 P.M.DUKEAT VIRGINIA TECH 6 P.M.
NBA
CHICAGOAT NEW YORK 7 P.M.DENVERAT L.A. CLIPPERS 9:30 P.M.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
CONNECTICUT 44GEORGETOWN 58GEORGIA 51AUBURN 59
NBA
MIAMI 97MILWAUKEE 105WASHINGTON 103ORLANDO 109
TODAY’S GAMES TOP SCORES
BY JOE WILSONNEW ERA SPORTS EDITOR
Winning on the high school wrestling mat can bemeasured in inches. For University Heights Acad-emy grappler Colton Hall, so is breathing.
Hall is fortunate to be alive after he was criticallyinjured in a four-wheeler accident in 2009. While
riding with his friend,Colton Bumpus near theDogwood-Kelly Road inChristian County, the then14-year-old Hall made acritical mistake that lefthim clinging to life at Van-derbilt Children’s Hospitalin Nashville, Tenn., for aweek.
“I was riding on a four-wheeler and my friendhad stopped in front ofme,” Hall said. “I wasn’tpaying attention and Iturned around and tried toswerve. My wheel caughthis and I flipped andlanded on the pavement.The four-wheeler landedon top of me.”
He doesn’t recall muchof the next six days hespent at the hospital. Hedoesn’t remember fightingwith emergency personnelat the scene because ofthree large skull fracturesdespite a broken left arm.He doesn’t remember thehelicopter rides toNashville.
The first helicopterstopped in Clarksville,Tenn., with problems andanother helicopter had topick him up there and flyhim to his Nashville desti-nation.
“That was hard on me,”said his mother Betty Hall,
who works in the trauma unit at Jennie StuartMedical Center. “I know enough that we shouldhave been about 30 or 40 minutes behind him andwhen we got to Vanderbilt, they didn’t know any-thing. They told us his helicopter had stopped atGateway (Clarksville). I know that usually if they
stop that means the patient has coded (died).”Colton didn’t die on the helicopter, but doctors
weren’t sure if he would recover from his injuries.He had three major skull fractures, multiple facialfractures, a fractured C-1 vertebra in his neck anda compound fracture in his left arm. Doctors alsobelieved he had severed his cerebral artery, themain artery feeding blood to the brain.
Betty could only sit and wait. She wondered whattheir future would be like.
“At night I had visions of spoon feeding him forthe rest of my life,” she said. “I didn’t know whatwas going to go on. And he’s just perfect now. I’m soproud of him when he goes to wrestle.”
A junior at UHA, Hall is a medical miracle.Despite the three major skull fractures, doctors
said there was no internal bleeding associatedwith them. It turns out he did not sever his cere-bral artery, but a vein, which was much less criti-cal.
“They (doctors) took him back for another CATscan a few days later and instead of the artery, itwas the vein,” Betty Hall said. “It was the width ofa hair for what could have been life or death forhim. It was just amazing.”
Because of the head and especially the neck in-juries, doctors told Colton he was done with allcontact sports, including his favorite, wrestling.But he wouldn’t settle for that.
“They had fear that I would re-break my head orre-break my neck,” Colton said. “They said I wasdone for life. It was sad. I had just started my firstseason here (UHA). I was going into my freshmanyear.”
Colton began a physical therapy and UHAwrestling coach Doug Willen kept in contact withthe family. By November, Colton was feeling better.After a series tests, doctors cleared him to wrestle.
Five months after nearly being killed, Colton
Off the matUniversity Heights grappler defiesodds, finds wrestling success
“At night Ihad visions ofspoon feedinghim for therest of mylife. I didn’tknow whatwas going togo on. Andhe’s justperfect now.I’m so proudof him whenhe goes towrestle.”
Betty HallMother of UHA’s Colton Hall n
JOE WILSON | KENTUCKY NEW ERA
University Heighs Academy wrestler Colton Hall (top) grapples with Hopkinsville’s Robert Bussell during a match earlier this seasonat Blazer Gym. Hall has found success on the mat this season after suffering critical injuries in a four-wheeler accident in 2009.
SEE HALL, PAGE B3
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