SESSER, Ill. (12-29-24) — The Sesser-Valier Holiday Tournament championship game was suspended after Goreville’s Cole Tripp was seriously injured early in the 3rd quarter at the 7:20 mark with the Blackcats in front of Waltonville leading 42-31.

Goreville Blackcats vs Waltonville Spartans

Blackcats Network

VIDEO– starts early in the 3rd quarter

https://www.youtube.com/live/6OV7IS6od5Q?si=JkWhnBFBJLUQkc6n&t=3626

The play saw the Blackcats’ Cole Tripp (Sr-Captain) would hit the floor very hard after he collided with the Waltonville player on the block. He would be taken by ambulance to an area hospital.

The announcement was made to the crowd that a decision will be made in the future by Sesser-Valier, Waltonville and Goreville if the game is to be rescheduled.

Posting updated 12-19-24—-

Stephanie Tripp Facebook posting—

1st update on Cole — Update on Cole: Cole is doing well! CT scan came back normal. We are waiting to be transferred to St Louis Children’s for further evaluation! We cannot thank all the medical professionals that were present tonight who assisted our boy! You all were a God send!! We are so appreciative to all of you for the prayers and for the calls and texts! Thank you to all of you who showed up at the hospital! We felt those prayers and feel your love for our boy! Tonight was a very scary moment but by the grace of God Cole is ok!

2nd Update on Cole: Children’s has evaluated Cole and he has returned to normal following his seizure. Due to the seizure being trauma induced he is not at an increased risk of having any additional seizures….thank God! For you parents that deal with that on a regular basis my heart goes out to you! That was the scariest moment of our lives seeing our child turn blue and being completely helpless. With that being said…God is so Good! We talk about how the world seems so upside down these days but last night what took place after Cole’s incident was truly powerful! We love our Goreville community and can’t imagine raising our kids anywhere else but it wasn’t just our community last night. It was a big portion of Southen Illinois reaching up to God and praying for our Cole. We cannot express how grateful we are for all of you!

In Indiana….

Shakamak’s Jalen Johnson who suffered a bad injury during the First Financial Classic