Football player flown to hospital by helicopter during Xavier Prep vs. Coachella Valley game
A rescue helicopter landed at the 45-yard line Friday night to fly in an injured Xavier Prep football player during the first half of the season opener at Coachella Valley High School. It was one of two scary injuries of the night for the Saints.
The helicopter, which came from Imperial, was called after Xavier Prep quarterback King Pellum suffered a head injury. According to a Xavier Prep assistant coach, Pellum was hit in the first quarter and was sent to the sidelines. While sitting on the bench, he became dizzy and briefly lost consciousness.
An ambulance was called and then it was decided that the helicopter would be more appropriate. Pellum was conscious and moving his arms and legs when the helicopter arrived, and medical procedures at that point were “mostly precautionary,” according to the assistant trainer. Pellum was flown by helicopter to Riverside Health Center in Moreno Valley.
With 37 seconds left until halftime, both teams moved to the north corner of the field to allow the helicopter to land.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the last grim moment of the game. Midway through the fourth quarter, Anderson Acosta, Xavier Prep’s star freshman running back, was hit after spinning and was left motionless on the ground. He stayed on the ground for about 20 minutes while medical staff talked to him and tended to him, making sure he didn’t move. He was alert and interacted with them. And as he was being wheeled off the field on a stretcher, he gave his ever-encouraging thumbs up.
Acosta was described by Xavier Prep athletic director Andrew Clark as being in “good spirits” after the incident.
As expected, there was a great deal of excitement on the Xavier Prep sidelines as some players cried and others put their heads in their hands, unable to watch Acosta being cared for. Seeing not one, but two teammates suffer serious injuries is certainly a devastating loss.
“It was a tough night, two teams pushing each other hard and unfortunately that happens sometimes,” Clark said. “Of course I’m praying for the kids.”
After a delay of about 20 minutes, the athletic directors met and decided to call the game off. Coachella Valley led 27-0 with 6:46 left to play.
“I’ve been doing this for 13 seasons and I’ve never seen a helicopter land on the field. That was a tough night,” Coachella Valley coach Bill Johnson said. “To see a helicopter land on the field and know that the reason it did it is because a player is injured is tough. At the end of the day, we’re all high school kids and coaches and we’re parents and uncles and aunts. I know there were some concerned family members there and we share that concern.”
Coachella Valley defender Sebastian Casillas said it was difficult to witness these injuries.
“I saw one with my own eyes and I was a little scared myself and it affected me a lot,” said Casillas. “I don’t want anyone from my family or any of my brothers to get hurt and I consider the Xavier players my brothers too, even though we are opponents on the field. I hope the best for them.”
Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at [email protected].
