Gravette in shock over loss

Lineman's death stuns school, team

— Gravette High School's football team was stunned Wednesday after learning of the death of junior offensive lineman Casey Russell, Coach Bill Harrelson said.

Russell, the team's starting right tackle, died Wednesday morning at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock after a staph infection was discovered Tuesday during emergency surgery.

"Everybody's in shockright now," Harrelson said Wednesday afternoon. "It's been a tough day for us, losing a teammate like that. He was one of the most wellliked players on this football team, always had a smile. You could always count on him."

Russell missed last week's game against Wellington, Kan., when he was sidelined by back pain. The injury didn't seem serious until Tuesday, when Russell began to experience severe pain and went to the doctor. Doctors determined Russell was in kidney failure and performed emergency surgery, which is when they discovered the infection caused by a strain of staphylococcus bacteria.

Russell was flown Tuesday night to Arkansas Children's Hospital. He never recovered from the anesthesia, Gravette Superintendent Andrea Kelly said, and was pronounced dead at approximately 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Harrelson, in his fourth season as the Lions' coach,said informing his players of Russell's death Wednesday was a "terrible experience." The school district's two counselors discussed the death with students, and the coaching staff kept the football team together for much of the day.

"It's just one of those things as a coach you just never want to have to do," Harrelson said. "I don't know if we did it right or wrong."

Kelly said there is no immediate concern that the staph infection might be transferred to other students at the school, but as a precaution janitors spent the day disinfecting the high school's locker rooms and common areas.

"We haven't received any notification that there is an imminent danger to our student body," Kelly said, "but we decided immediately to take it as a precautionary measure."

According to mayoclinic. com, staph infections usually occur in people who are already hospitalized or who have a chronic illness or weakened immune system, but it is possible for otherwise healthy people to develop life-threatening staph infections. Most of the time the bacteria cause minor skin infections, but the infectionsare contagious, according to the site.

The football team didn't practice Wednesday, but the school plans to go ahead and play Friday night's home game against Pea Ridge. The football team is expected to return to practice today.

"We're going to try to get back out there the best we can," Harrelson said. "I think getting back into our routine will help the kids, but it's not all that we need for sure.

"Casey's family is what's on everybody's mind right now."

A candlelight service was scheduled Wednesday night.

"I think playing the game is a situation of getting everyone together and to continueon," Athletic Director Norman Mitchell said. "That's what's you do, but you know it will be an emotional night Friday."

Russell started last season at right tackle and started the first two games this season. Harrelson said Russell worked hard all the time and described him as a leader.

"He was a friend to everybody," Harrelson said. "He was a leader in his class. You couldn't have a better kid than Casey Russell.

"He was just an outstanding young man." Information for this story was contributed by staff writers Jamie Smith of the Benton County Daily Record and Evie Blad of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Sports, Pages 17, 21 on 09/24/2009

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