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More driven than ever
Woodstown’s Hannah returns to site of harrowing hit determined to ‘rewrite history,’ includes Salem County statistical leaders
THIS WEEK’S GAMES Friday’s Games Salem at Schalick, 6 p.m. Pitman at Penns Grove, 6:30 p.m. Saturday’s Games Woodstown at Woodbury, 11 a.m. Pennsville at Paulsboro, 11 a.m.
By Al Muskewitz Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN – Rex Hannah has the tape. He hasn’t watched it in a while. Doesn’t want to see it. Doesn’t need to see it. He lived it. He doesn’t want to see it because it reminds him of one of the scariest experiences of his life – football or otherwise – but because it brings up memories of a loss.
It was a year ago this week the two-way Woodstown lineman was laid out on the field at Woodbury, knocked down by a blindside hit after the play as he was coming off the field. The crowd sat silently as trainers on the field worked to stabilize his head and neck. An ambulance waited nearby, rear doors open, ready to take him to a nearby hospital.
Ironically, Hannah and the Wolverines play the team that laid him out Saturday — 364 days after the incident – and as fate (and the new West Jersey Football League scheduling cycle) would have it, it’s back at Woodbury.
“I just remember waking up in the hospital; I was scared, I didn’t know what happened,” Hannah said before joining his teammates for a mid-week practice. “I really don’t remember the game, to be honest. I just remember waking up and having the great doctors with me and, of course, my family, my parents, who are my rock. Of course, it was tough because we couldn’t get it done and what happened. It was a hard day, but family is everything, so having them with me made it a lot better. It was just a rough day.”
The play occurred midway through the second quarter and the Wolverines were chasing Woodbury quarterback Nico Jimenez in the red zone. A broadcast of the game shows from just outside the frame Hannah appearing to take a front hit that knocked him backwards. The game was delayed nearly 20 minutes while medical personnel attended to him. He was said to have briefly lost consciousness on the field, but was talking and moving his extremities by the time he was transported from the field.
Wolverines head coach Frank Trautz called it a “scary moment … that I don’t wish upon any (player or coach) who ever has to do this.”
Hannah was released later that evening with a neck strain and a concussion that has the now junior cautious about his future in the game and long-term quality of life going forward. He returned to action in Week 7, but was re-concussed and remained sidelined for the rest of the season.
He holds no animosity towards the offending Thundering Herd player and was actually mad at himself for not having “protected myself better” and not being there for his team in the 42-6 loss. He is proud of the way he’s put it behind him and the way he’s worked all summer to get back for the season and this game.
The last thing he wants is for Saturday to be thought of as “my game” or take away from the team’s focus and goal for the game that has become important to both teams’ seasons. Still, when he gets to the stadium he’ll probably slip away for a quiet moment at the spot to recognize the anniversary of the hit that could’ve ended it all and his recovery from it.
“I’ve had dreams about it, getting off that bus and walking up that hill and getting into that gym,” he said. “Before the game definitely I’m gonna take a knee, take a little rest, think about how far I’ve come, how far I’ve worked and think about how I could’ve gave up.
“I could’ve sat in that hospital bed and went home and then gave up, but I didn’t and I pushed through. I’m just going to think about that and how I can help my team and what I can do to win. I’ll take it all in pre-game, think about what happened, but definitely take a breath, say a prayer, thank God for letting me still be here.”
Hannah is an intense player as it is, but the experience of last year’s trauma has made him more driven. In an interview during training camp he said ever since that date – and he specifically mentioned the date — he couldn’t wait for this season to get underway. He’s the Wolverines’ center responsible for setting the plays for a young offensive line and is a moving part on the defensive line. Even Trautz has noticed the lineman more determined to succeed.
“I did a lot of work outside football just finding myself,” Hannah said. “(The injury) made me drive a lot harder because nobody’s gonna lower how hard they go just because of whatever happened. It really flipped the switch for me that if they don’t care about you, you should play with that same intensity. Not everybody gets a chance to play football and it can always get taken away from you, so you’ve got to play with that intensity so you don’t get taken out.
“I love football. Football is my favorite thing is life, and to almost have that taken away from me at that spot it’s definitely a big deal (going back to Woodbury). I almost lost what I love there, but I just want to rewrite history, rewrite what happened, and hopefully make it a better ending than what happened last time.”
FUN FACT: Hannah’s given name is Abraxus Tristan, named after a family friend, who he’s never met, and his father. He said he only recently learned of the 1970 Santana album “Abraxas,” which carried the band’s hits “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.”
Salem County leaders
Rushing
PLAYER
CAR.
YARDS
TD
Kenny Bartee, Schalick
30
423
7
Jaivon Thomas, Penns Grove
17
335
5
Cole Ware, Woodstown
47
255
o
David Stewart, Schalick
23
236
4
Cashmir Parsley, Salem
30
219
1
Terrell Thomas, Penns Grove
24
188
4
Ayden Jenkins, Schalick
20
157
1
Aidan Collazo, Pennsville
11
152
1
Tristan Horner, Pennsville
26
118
4
Mason Middlemiss, Woodstown
26
89
3
Adrian Alleyne, Salem
7
59
0
Savior Allah, Penns Grove
3
54
0
Kyvion Parsons, Salem
8
52
1
Freddie Allen, Schalick
8
49
1
Passing
PLAYER
C-A-I
YARDS
TD
Jake Layfield, Pennsville
60-98-2
744
8
Owen McDonald, Salem
10-22-2
105
1
Mason Middlemiss, Woodstown
8-18-4
76
1
Kenny Bartee, Schalick
4-14-0
45
0
Damien Robinson, Penns Grove
6-8-0
49
2
Kyvion Parsons, Salem
3-7-1
41
1
Receiving
PLAYER
NO.
YARDS
TD
Chase Johnson, Pennsville
23
374
4
Lucas Thomas, Pennsville
10
78
1
Jacob Kimani, Pennsville
8
112
1
Tristan Horner, Pennsville
8
43
1
Aidan Collazo, Pennsville
7
78
0
Jerry Wooton, Penns Grove
5
92
2
Ahmad Tucker, Salem
4
51
1
Gio Alicea, Schalick
3
56
1
KaiSiere Muhammad, Salem
3
49
0
Quimere Bergen, Salem
2
24
1
Nehemiah Carter, Woodstown
2
23
0
Dante Cummings, Pennsville
2
11
1
Evan Elliott, Schalick
2
10
1
Cole Ware, Woodstown
2
4
0
Defense
SACKS — 4.5: Myshion Barnes, Salem; 4: Omari Robinson, Penns Grove; 3: JaKai Ingram, Penns Grove; 2.5: Tony Merendino, Salem; 2: Kamal Chatum, Salem; Evan Elliott, Schalick; Mahkye Murray, Salem
INTERCEPTIONS — 4: Jacob Kimani, Pennsville; 2: Gio Alicea, Schalick; Jaivon Thomas, Penns Grove
