Dr. Cary Guse, center, is recognized for his 22 years of service as team doctor by Columbus East athletics director David Miller at halftime of Friday’s football game against New Albany. Standing with him are, from left, his wife Kristi, son Jacob and daughter Jenna. On the right are East athletic trainers Michaela Swafford and McKensie Hurt.
Tommy Walker | For the Republic
For most fall Friday nights the past 22 years, Dr. Cary Guse has been on the sidelines for a football game at either Columbus East or Columbus North.
At least for the foreseeable future, Friday’s East home game against Floyd Central could be his last. Columbus Regional Health recently ended its affiliation with BCSC schools, effective Sept. 30, and Franciscan Health is stepping in.
“It’s been a family for a long time,” Guse said. “So it’s hard to do, but things happen. It’s sad. I haven’t not covered a football game in 29 years, so it will be the weirdest thing on Oct. 3, staying home for the first time in a long time. It will be interesting.”
Guse has been the team doctor for East and North for more than two decades. He’s seen his share of injuries, from the minor sprains to the major afflictions, such as when former North quarterback Trenton Kelley suffered a ruptured spleen in the 2017 sectional final at Center Grove and when a Seymour player broke his leg in a football game at East.
“So many, both good and bad,” Guse said. “We had the rupture at North that we had to diagnose and an open tibia fracture here against Seymour, so we had the good and the bad. Getting through the (COVID-19) pandemic and trying to not miss any time and figure out all the rules there, and trying to stop city-wide skin infections that were affecting multiple teams. But lots of great memories, lots of great trainers, lots of great coaches, lots of great players.”
A basketball and baseball player at Franklin College, Guse obtained his medical degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He also completed a Sports Fellowship Program in Minneapolis and was on the medical staff for the five Minnesota professional sports teams and two colleges.
Guse and his wife Kristi and their newborn Jacob moved to Columbus in 2004. Jacob played football and track at East and now is a junior on the track and field team at Wabash. Their daughter Jenna competed in volleyball, basketball and track for the Olympians and now is a sophomore on the basketball team at University of Indianapolis.
“The kids grew up on the sidelines,” Guse said. “Jacob came to his first game when he was two weeks old right after we moved here.”
Guse will continue to work at Southern Indiana Orthopedics, where he also has worked for the past 22 years. He’s seen plenty of local athletes there, including at his Saturday morning walk-in clinic.
East surprised Guse by honoring him and his family at halftime of Friday’s football win against New Albany.
“He’s done a huge part,” East athletics director David Miller said. “He’s helped get our student-athletes back on the playing field or court. He’s always looking at player safety, but also how he can get them back to playing. It’s been great having him around. As a coach and now an administrator, it’s almost a comfort level when he’s there and our athletic trainers are there that if someone gets injured, they’ll be on top of it.”
Guse cherishes the memories he’s had at both East and North, including working with longtime football coaches Bob Gaddis at East and Tim Bless at North. He was along for the ride for the Olympians’ state football championship teams in 2013 and 2017 and the Bull Dogs’ girls basketball state title in 2015.
“Both schools have been great to me,” Guse said. “The state championship teams, the Gaddis years, where we just had a blast, and it was really a family there. The Bless years, we had a blast there, and the (Ali) Patberg basketball years, being a part of that, and the volleyball years here. Coach (Terry) Sweasy and all the volleyball coaches have been great. Lots of good memories, and lots of good friends.”
