GRANTS PASS — Larry Ragsdale earned the Skyline Conference’s offensive player of the year in football in 2007, and won a state hurdles title in spring of 2008 as a senior at Illinois Valley High School.

He was so good at scoring touchdowns for the Cougars that Sports Illustrated featured him in “Faces in the Crowd.”

Now everyone wonders if he’s going to wake up.

The 20-year-old Ragsdale hasn’t regained consciousness since a March 10 crash on Highway 99W north of Monroe.

His girlfriend Kelcie Yeoman, also an IVHS grad, was driving her own car behind Ragsdale’s 2002 Chevy Cavalier when it collided with a Jeep Cherokee driven by 31-year-old Shane Chambers of Corvallis.

Faithful girlfriend

Yeoman has been at his side ever since, along with his mother Cathy and younger sister Paige, who are staying at Pastega House next to Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Corvallis.

Ragsdale’s father, John, has to hold down a job in Grants Pass but is in Corvallis every weekend, said McKenzie Yeoman, Kelcie’s younger sister.

“It’s been so hard for everyone, especially Kelcie,” said McKenzie Yeoman, who also visits. “They’ve made so many plans together.

“They said with head injuries you just don’t know. They can’t give you a prognosis of how he’s going to be in a few months, or in a year. They just can’t. It’s all kind of a mystery.”

McKenzie said Ragsdale has wiggled his toes a few times on command, but his eyes are not tracking. He moves around some.

At IVHS, the former student is on everyone’s mind.

“Larry is one of the most awesome kids to come through this school,” said Mark Higgins, IVHS athletic director, who gets text messages from Paige on Larry’s progress. “Very well liked, very involved.”

‘It’s just a tragedy’

“It’s just such a tragedy,” said IVHS office manager Janie Pope. “Such a great athlete, such a great student, never in trouble. He had such potential.”

McKenzie Yeoman said Ragsdale has had multiple surgeries, including removing a flap of bone to relieve pressure from swelling in the brain, and to fix a broken arm.

While he is not considered responsive, he has shown signs of life.

“All the nurses say it seems like there’s more there. He moves his arms.”

She said at some point Ragsdale will go to a rehabilitation facility or a nursing facility, depending on how he progresses.

An account has been set up at U.S. Bank branches to help the Ragsdales’ costs, and “Everybody Loves Larry” blue rubber bracelets are for sale for $2 at IVHS and Lorna Byrne Middle School in Cave Junction.

Chambers has been in the Benton County Jail since the accident, charged with drunken driving, assault, reckless driving and reckless endangerment. He was treated and released from the hospital the night of the accident.