Middle school Black Knight sustains concussion after on-court attack
Bryson City – It has to be one of every parent’s worst nightmares: you witness your child being attacked, and you can’t get there in time to stop it.
Jonathan Allison is a member of Graham County Board of Education, as well as the new head coach for the Robbinsville Middle School Black Knights basketball team. But, more importantly, he is a father who had to witness the same nightmare on Nov. 21 – though it was not one he could wake up from.
As the clock dipped under the 80-second mark of the fourth quarter, Robbinsville held a commanding 46-26 lead over the Swain County Maroon Devils. The road game was the final bit of action for the Knights before Thanksgiving and, with a sizable advantage, it seemed that Robbinsville was well on its way to its fourth win of the young season.
Here is where it gets murky, as investigations by both law enforcement and Swain County School officials are still ongoing: both teams returned to the Robbinsville side of the court on a play. Allison’s son, Cameron, was among the 10 who trotted back toward the paint, and he turned to watch the point guard pass the ball to his right.
In what is now a widely-circulated video recorded by a parent in the stands, Cameron was suddenly wrapped up from behind by a Maroon Devils player who will not be identified in this report. The much-larger player picked Cameron up in a bearhug, pulled him to chest level and, in a flash, sent Robbinsville’s leading offensive weapon back to the floor in a violent manner.
The camera drops immediately upon impact.
“If it was a basketball move or play, I could understand. I’ve played before; I get it,” Jonathan told The Graham Star on Tuesday morning. “But this was no accident. The video does not lie.”
The 13-year-old lay motionless. Jonathan did what any father would do: he immediately ran onto the floor to check on his child. Robbinsville’s coaching staff exhibited self-restraint and attempted to defuse a suddenly-tense situation. Officials rightly ended the game with 1:12 left on the clock. The final score held at 46-26, Black Knights.
None of that seemed to matter at the time, as Cameron was rushed to Harris Regional Hospital in Sylva. The diagnosis was a concussion. Jonathan confirmed that Cameron was scheduled for an impact test Tuesday, just so he could return to school. Basketball is still a couple of weeks out, at least.
As news of the incident spread, players, fans and coaches everywhere began sharing the video of the attack, universally noting both the severity of the slam and their disgust with the event.
“This is 100 percent intentional!,” one post read on Facebook. “No accident, at all! I hope he is severely punished! These are middle schoolers, I understand, but they are old enough to know that this is not acceptable behavior.”
“This is assault,” another post begins. “Cameron is a heck of a (sic) athlete, but more than anything he is a child. This video is hard to watch.”
Jonathan has actively discussed pursuing criminal charges against the Swain County player.
“It’s a cowardly act,” Jonathan said. “It was his intentions to hurt him. But all the glory to God; He protected my son.”
Quick switch
Murphy – The attack inadvertently led to a change of venue for Monday’s Robbinsville/Murphy tilt, with the Bulldogs hosting the game in Cherokee County.
The Lady Knights fell 50-39 and the Black Knights dropped a 65-46 contest.
Xamuel Wachacha led Robbinsville (4-2) in the boys loss with 14 points. Bam Nelms put up 13, while Eli Lambert dropped 7. Also scoring was Tristan Blevins with 4 points, Elijah Kirkland 3, Avery Brown and Tucker Jones, 2 each; and Easton Shuler, 1.
Chloe Adams paced Robbinsville (3-3) in the girls defeat, scoring 16 points. Other Lady Knights to score were Daphne Barlow with 7; Zayleigh Chekeleelee, Novie Dutcher, Cassidy Sudderth, with 4 apiece; and both Zaelyn Phillips and Zirryiah Wachacha, with a bucket each.