TEMECULA — Amy Whitman immediately sensed something was not right.
Her daughter Hailey is known for hustling up and down the court as a member of the Rancho Christian girls basketball team. But midway through the third quarter of last season’s CIF Southern Section playoff game at Moreno Valley High School, Hailey was the last player to cross the mid-court line.
“It was confusion at first,” said Amy Whitman, who keeps the scorebook for the team. “Seeing her lagging behind everybody else, that’s just not Hailey.”
Confusion quickly turned to fear. Rancho Christian coach Marlon Wells called a timeout, and Hailey walked toward the bench and started to collapse. Eagles assistant coach Haseen Williams noticed Whitman was staggering toward the sidelines and managed to catch her before she fell to the floor.
“We didn’t see anything happen in the game, so we didn’t know if it was her heart or if she was having a stroke,” Amy Whitman said. “I was terrified.”
Hailey was treated on the floor by Emergency Medical Technicians and taken away by ambulance. It later was determined she suffered a concussion.
“I really only remember the first two quarters,” Hailey recalled. “I had taken a hit to the face early in the game and then another early in the third quarter. I was operating on autopilot. I don’t even remember running up the court. … I just remember being on the floor and not being able to feel or move my legs.
“I had taken bigger hits before, so I didn’t know what was going on. … It was really scary because in that moment I didn’t know if I’d ever be able to play or even walk again.”
Hailey spent the night in a local hospital, but no answers were given at that time. She returned home to Point Loma the following day and her mother booked an appointment at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Hailey underwent tests to make sure there were no deeper neurological or spinal-related issues.
“That was a difficult time,” Amy said, “but being able to take her to some of the best pediatric physicians in the world provided some peace of mind.”
Hailey was sidelined for nearly two months before she was given the go-ahead to resume basketball activities. The 6-foot forward has returned for her senior season at Rancho Christian and has not missed any games. Whitman is averaging 6.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and a team-high 1.8 blocks per game for the Eagles (22-8), who play at No. 1-seed Ventura (28-2) in a CIF Southern Section Division 1 quarterfinal game on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
“It has been wonderful to see her come back from that scary situation and have a great senior season,” Wells said of Whitman. “Hailey is a hard-worker and grinder and extremely coachable. She is one of our team captains and a great leader who the other girls respect. It’s been great having her back here.”
Whitman’s dedication to the Rancho Christian girls basketball program is unquestioned. She played her first two high school seasons at El Cajon Christian in San Diego County but decided to transfer after her sophomore year. Wells is a legendary basketball coach in that county, having previously led the girls programs at San Diego High School and The Bishop’s School in La Jolla. Whitman makes a 60-plus-mile trip from Point Loma to Temecula each morning and back home in the evening.
“I would argue coach Marlon is the best in the nation at what he does, and I would chose to play for him over and over again,” Whitman said. “I knew of his reputation as a coach and also knew (senior guard) Julia (Wilson) and her family. … I knew by coming here I was going to get better as a player and a person.”
Added Amy Whitman: “Hailey was willing to make all of the sacrifices to play for and with the best, so we just followed her lead. It has been a blessing.”
Hailey has been playing games this season with a new piece of equipment. When she is in on the court, Whitman wears the Q-Collar, a non-invasive device worn around the neck designed to protect the brain from effects associated with repetitive head impacts. It is not a requirement, but Whitman has chosen to wear the device because last year’s incident was not her first concussion. It also allows Whitman to keep playing with her trademark intensity.
“It’s been great seeing her back playing like the Hailey we all know,” Amy Whitman said. “Those first few months were very tough for her. When she was able to start playing again, there was joy but also a little trepidation. Once she got past those mental blocks, I think she found her comfort zone again.”
It has now been one year and a handful of days since the frightening episode that ended Hailey’s junior season.
“I’m proud of myself and how far I’ve come,” she said on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the incident. “But so many more people other than myself have made this possible. I have a tremendous support system — my family, my coaches, my teammates — that have been there every step of the way.
“I’ve learned to be thankful of what happened. … Going through that trauma and coming back, I think I’ve grown so much as a player and as a person.”
Rancho Christian and Moreno Valley are Ivy League rivals. On Jan. 16, Whitman returned to Moreno Valley High for the first time since the incident.
“It was a weird couple of days leading up to that game,” said Whitman, who has signed with Oklahoma Christian. “There was a lot of emotions going through my head. We went there early and I sat on the spot that I went down. I think that was the last step I needed to really put what happened to bed.”
