Even in the toughest of rivalries, good sportsmanship still exist.

I was covering the Sierra College/Sacramento City College game recently that saw a grueling injury to Joe Odom, whom had to be taken off the field by an ambulance.

Odom was tangled up on a defensive play and as the others around him were going back to their respective huddles, Odom did not.

Initially, it looked like he would be ok.  But as the medical care at the stadium come running over, slowly a few members of the Wolverines stepped forward to their fallen teammate.

Unfortunately, an outside ambulance had to be called for Odom due to the severity of the injury.  But increasingly, support from the Sierra sideline showed.  More Wolverine players and eventually the whole team was at his side.

The Panthers followed suit.  First a few players, then the whole team.

Along with the Wolverine squad, Sacramento City surround the injured Odom.  Eventually, dropping to one knee and grabbed each other’s hands in prayer for Joe.

Just weren’t just holding their own teammates hands; there were Panthers holding the hands of Wolverine players as well, despite butting heads with one another just moments earlier.

For me, I couldn’t help but to pray for Odom.  ‘It’s a scary time’ I thought to myself.

I thought of my wife, who is in a wheelchair because of a spine injury due to a car accident and knowing that it could be the same for Joe due to the hit he took moments earlier.

When the prayer broke, the stands exploded with a united “amen” and I joined them myself as the ambulance pulled in and took the young athlete off the field.

The feeling for the final 5:48 of the game wasn’t the same.  There was a feeling of what happen and trying to focus back onto the game.

For me, I had to figure out how to formulate my questions to Sierra’s coach Ben Noonan in such a heartbreaking situation like this and trying find out what happen to Joe.

I found out shortly after when they put him into the ambulance, that he had a sore back but had feeling in his toes and fingers.  ‘That’s a great sign’ I thought to myself.

Later that night, I found out through my editor that Joe was released from the hospital; with a sigh of relief that I knew it probably wasn’t anything too serious.

What the situation on that Saturday afternoon taught me was that sportsmanship still exist in today’s athletics through the realm of getting a Nike sponsorship or making money in the professional level.

It taught me that things can’t be taken for granted and everyday is as precious as the last because it can be taken as fast as it’s given to us.

Jeremy McDonald received a B.S. in Journalism from Southern Oregon University in 2011 and currently is finishing up his B.S. in Health and Physical Education from Southern Oregon University. He is currently a Sports Correspondent/Freelancer for Gold Country Media.