Doctor: Mission Hills player's injury came not long before collapse

By: TERI FIGUEROA - Staff Writer | Friday, September 28, 2007 10:48 PM PDT ∞

ESCONDIDO ---- Calling it one of the worst football-related head injuries he has seen, the brain surgeon treating a Mission Hills High School linebacker who collapsed on the gridiron said Friday the teenager has "not shown a significant amount of improvement."

The situation "could go either way," Scott Eveland's doctor, Vrijesh Tantuwaya, said during a news conference at Palomar Medical Center, two weeks to the day after Scott was rushed into emergency brain surgery.

On Sept. 14, Eveland, who is a few months shy of his 18th birthday, staggered off the football field early in the game's second quarter and slipped into a coma. He remains comatose and in critical condition in Palomar's intensive care unit.

His family holds on to hope that he will recover.

Tantuwaya said Eveland suffered an acute subdural hematoma ---- a blood clot on the surface of the brain ---- and brain swelling. His injury is comparable to those suffered by traffic crash victims, the doctor said.

"With head injuries, we can't really predict (what will happen)," Tantuwaya said. "Every person is different, every head injury is different. ... We've been as aggressive as we can possibly be."

The collapse of the popular senior in front of a crowd at his school's stadium in San Marcos sent shockwaves through the region, where more than 1,400 teenagers from about 30 local high schools suit up each week to play varsity football.

San Marcos and North County residents responded with fundraisers, vigils and good wishes for the teenager known as Scotty.

On Friday evening, players from both Mission Hills and Valley Center huddled together on the field for a prayer before the game at Jaguar Stadium. It was the San Marcos team's first game since the accident.

Earlier in the day, Tantuwaya told a room full of reporters that Eveland's injury came within hours of his collapse, and was not the result of an earlier injury. There had been speculation that Eveland may have been hurt in practices days before the game or that he may have had a condition that led to the injury that put him in a coma.

The doctor said he held the news conference at the request of Eveland's parents, who said they wanted to clear up misinformation about the teen's condition and the timing of his injury.

"There is no doubt in my mind that this is something that happened within hours (of his arrival in the emergency room)," Tantuwaya.

School officials have said they scoured video tapes of the game against Santee's West Hills High but could not pinpoint any single play that caused Eveland's injury.

Eveland has been barely responsive since slipping into a coma, Tantuwaya said. He has moved the right side of his body and cracked his eyes open a little.

While those are good signs, Tantuwaya said, it is not enough for doctors to make any prognosis for recovery. Tantuwaya cautioned that such activity likely may be the result of brain reflexes.

Eveland also responds to temperature changes and pain, but that also can be attributed to reflex, the doctor said.

Tantuwaya said it could be a weeks or months before he can make a prognosis for the teenager's recovery.

Tantuwaya, a neurosurgeon, said Eveland also is being treated for pneumonia ---- a common illness for a person who, like Eveland, is on a ventilator ---- but that all of his vital organs are fine. Aside from the original surgery, in which half of the teenager's skull cap was removed to relieve swelling, Eveland has had no other operations.

Tantuwaya said the teenager's family ---- whom he called "reasonable and wise" in its approach ---- has been "realistic" about his condition.

"The family is doing just remarkable in terms of handling this," Tantuwaya said.

Signs of encouragement were everywhere Friday night at Mission Hills' game at Valley Center High School. Finding a parking spot was difficult, and lines to buy tickets stretched further than usual, with workers at ticket booths reporting strong sales. The stands on the visitors' side were filled with Mission Hills fans, and signs bearing the number 54 and words of support adorned both sides of the field.

Valley Center Principal Ron McCowan said students hung many banners today before the game, but that displays behind each goal post had been up for two weeks. McCowan said he sympathized with what Mission Hills must be going through.

"Its a tough spot for a principal to be in, because you don't know what to do," he said. "You just know that you can't do enough."

The Mission Hills cheerleaders painted "54" on their faces for the game.

"It feels good to see other players playing for Scotty," said cheerleader Jordan Hanks, a ninth-grader, "and it feels good to cheer for him."

The mood on the sidelines was enthusiastic and supportive, but a bit subdued for some.

"We're still sad. We're kind of quiet tonight, but we've got to be supportive for the players on the field," said Mada Stevens, a game supervisor for Mission Hills, who choked back tears as she spoke.

"You know, it's good we're back playing," she said. "It was good we had a break, but it's good we're back."

The mother of a Mission Hills player, who didn't want her name used, said she was apprehensive.

"I hold my breath any time there's any kind of contact on the field," she said.

Fundraising booths were set up at the stadium entrances for a fund in Scott's name. Parents and student from both schools collected money from fans.

"I felt obligated to pitch in and help," said Elie Kein, mother of a senior at Valley Center. "This is every parent's worst nightmare."

At the beginning of the game, announcers said the fundraisers had gotten two $500 donations from the local Valley Center Pop Warner teams, and more were accepted throughout the night.

Staff writer Darryn Bennett contributed to this story. Contact staff writer Teri Figueroa at (760) 631-6624 or tfigueroa@nctimes.com.