Columbus North’s Davonte Degraffenreid, right, attempts to stay inbounds as he is pursued by Franklin Central’s Emauri Hines after intercepting a pass during a sectional football game Nov. 1, 2024 at Columbus North High School.
Mike Wolanin | The Republic
Columbus North football players, coaches and fans received a scare Friday night when junior cornerback Davonte Degraffenreid lay immobile on the Roncalli turf for about 25 minutes and was taken by ambulance to Methodist Hospital.
Saturday morning, the worst fears were gone after DeGraffenreid was released from the hospital and came to the Bull Dogs’ home JV game against Roncalli. North coach Logan Haston said Saturday evening that there was no neck injury, and that it appeared to be a severe concussion.
“He’s doing much better today,” Haston said. “He was dismissed from the hospital this morning, and he was able to come to the high school and see the guys briefly, talk to everybody and pick their spirits up, and then after that, he was going to go home and spend the rest of the day resting. He’s definitely doing well and we’re all blessed that it wasn’t anything super major, so we’re very thankful in that regard.”
Haston and his wife visited Degraffenreid at the hospital Friday night after the game, along with North High School principal David Clark and assistant athletics director Jason Perry. Degraffenreid was kept overnight, but then was dismissed Saturday morning.
Davonte Degraffenreid
Degraffenreid was injured while attempting to make a tackle late in the first quarter Friday. The Bull Dogs trailed 14-6 at the time, fell behind 21-6 on the next play and eventually took a 41-20 loss, their first setback of the season.
“Even before the injury, we just didn’t get off the bus,” Haston said. “We didn’t come ready to play, and (Roncalli) kind of took care of business in all three phases. Not a good outing for us.”
North, ranked No. 8 in Class 6A, travels to 6A No. 3 Carmel Friday, then visits Terre Haute North Sept. 26 before returning home to play 5A No. 2 Bloomington South in a game that likely will decide the Conference Indiana title.
Haston said DeGraffenreid will meet with medical personnel Monday to determine a timetable for when he may be able to return to action.
“We haven’t got that far at all yet,” Haston said. “We’re just going to kind of take it one day at a time. The main focus today was to go home and rest, and we’ll come back on Monday and we’ll start to have those conversations.”
