Gents get surprise visit at practice

CROWLEY – The Crowley Gents received a pleasant surprise Monday afternoon when injured tight end Thomas Cavell dropped by practice to visit with teammates and coaches.
Cavell had been hospitalized for nine days after sustaining serious injuries - a Grade 3 spleen laceration as well as a contusion to the pancreas - during the Gents’ Oct. 24 District 4-4A game against Rayne. He was finally released from the hospital on Saturday.
“It was awesome to see Thomas out there,” said CHS coach Josh Fontenot. “He didn’t tell anyone he was coming by and the whole team was really excited to see him up and moving around. I was really glad he came by.”
The visit was inspiring, said Fontenot, who noted that most teammates had not seen Cavell since he left Gardiner Memorial Stadium in an ambulance almost two weeks ago.
“It was really great because there were just a lot of unknowns with his injuries,” said Fontenot. “We were giving our players updates and telling them what was going on, but it was still kind of a mystery to them.
“The kid (Cavell) was in there (hospital) for a week and you kind of don’t know. And then, all of the sudden, the kids see him and they can visually look at him and see that he’s going to be okay. So it was a relief for them.”
The visit was also therapeutic for Cavell, who plans to walk out onto the field Friday during the Senior Night festivities. The Gents host Madison in the 2013 regular-season finale that night.
“It felt good to see everybody and see how the team was doing,” said Cavell. “They all came up to me and shook my hand and asked how I was doing. They welcomed me back and it was a good feeling.”
Cavell, who will resume classes today at CHS, will endure a lengthy recovery period that will consist of him not doing anything strenuous for the next six weeks. He is confident he will be back at full strength sometime during the track and field season when he will rejoin the CHS team as a member of its relay teams and field (javelin).
“I have to take things slow right now, but I’m fighting through it,” said Cavell. “I’m definitely trying to get back for track season. I feel good about it. I’m hoping it won’t give me any trouble and I don’t think it will.”