Crockett coach Kevin Ward suffers heart attack
Ward has been the head football coach at Crockett County since 2011.
Crockett coach Kevin Ward suffers heart attack Ward has been the head football coach at Crockett County since 2011. Check out this story on jacksonsun.com: http://www.jacksonsun.com/story/sports/high-school/football/2016/08/08/crockett-coach-kevin-ward-suffers-heart-attack/88417950/
Brandon Shields, bjshields@jacksonsun.com Published 3:21 p.m. CT Aug. 8, 2016 | Updated 9:13 p.m. CT Aug. 8, 2016
Crockett County High School head football coach Kevin Ward speaks to his team. Ward, 47, suffered a heart attack Sunday and will have surgery Tuesday.(Photo: KENNETH CUMMINGS/The Jackson Sun)Buy Photo
Crockett County football coach Kevin Ward is in the hospital in Jackson and will have surgery tomorrow after suffering a heart attack Sunday.
Ward, who has coached at Crockett County since 2011 after eight years coaching at Camden, is scheduled to have a procedure done to have two or three bypasses to correct blocked arteries.
Ward, who is 47 years old, said via text message Monday afternoon he's felt fine all day but will be ready to get the surgery done on Tuesday.
Assistant coach Kent Scott was with Ward when they figured out things weren't right.
"He came in from mowing the field [Sunday afternoon] and said he had bad indigestion and asked for a Rolaids," Scott said. "He said he'd had it since Saturday, and I knew that wasn't good. He wasn't looking good either."
Scott called Ward's wife and emergency personnel. He was taken to Jackson General Hospital, where the diagnosis was made.
The Cavaliers are set to scrimmage Munford in the jamboree at Dyersburg on Friday, but their first game wouldn't be until Aug. 26 against Westview.
The team's bye comes in Week 1.
The team went through practice like normal.
"That's what Kevin told us to do," Scott said. "I'm the defensive coordinator and [Jr. Kirby] is the offensive coordinator, and his message to both of us was the same: 'Carry on.'
"So we talked to the players that Coach Ward expects us to carry on, and that's what we needed to do."
Scott visited Ward in the hospital after practice, and Ward's first words after the initial greeting wasn't surprising to Scott.
"He asked how practice went," Scott said. "So we talked about that and how he was feeling.
"He's in good spirits and just waiting for the surgery."
There's no prognosis yet on how long Ward could be out.
"We want him back as soon as possible. That's all I know," Scott said. "But we want him first to take care of himself.
"He's got a wife and daughters and a grandson he needs to think about before he thinks about a football team. But we missed him out there with us today as much as I think he missed being there with us."
Cavaliers athletic director Jerrod Shelton said nothing has been finalized yet as far as the program goes yet.
"Football is secondary in this situation," Shelton said. "Coach Ward is our football coach, but we all love him around here because of who he is and the kind of person he is.
"We're praying for him and will support him throughout this entire process."
Brandon Shields, 425-9751
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