Community Shows Support for Injured football player

By Michael Brooks

Staff Writer

Friday night, after the Edna football game ended, a large group of Edna football fans gathered for a picture. The people all wore JaceStrong t-shirts that they bought in support of Jace Muncrief, an Edna High School student who suffered a broken leg during practice just before Hurricane Harvey hit the South Texas coast.

“It happened in practice,” Jace’s mother, Kelley Muncrief said. “Jace and another receiver ran into each other and his leg just snapped.”

On Friday, as the Cowboys were preparing to play Ingleside in their season opener, Jace was in his 11th surgery.

“During the initial surgery, they placed a rod in his leg but there was an infection, so they had to reopen him from his ankle to his knee and take the rod out,” Kelley Muncrief said. “The doctors will be putting an antibiotic rod in his leg. Right now, they are fighting to save his foot. The doctors hope to be able to save his foot because he is young and strong. They wouldn’t be trying this hard if they knew there was no chance to save it. The problem is Compartment Syndrome.”

WebMD describes Compartment Syndrome as excessive pressure that builds up inside an enclosed muscle space in the body. Compartment Syndrome usually results from bleeding or swelling after an injury. The dangerously high pressure impedes the flow of blood to and from the affected tissues. It can be an emergency, requiring surgery to prevent permanent injury.

Adding to an already tense situation, Harvey made landfall and caused Jace to have to be moved from hospital to hospital.

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