Absolutely horrific news out of Orlando, Fla., where an Alabama high school football coach and his 10-year-old son were killed in a car accident on Florida Highway 520.
Photo courtesy of Carroll Ozark EaglesStacey Watters and his sons.
coach Stacey Watters, 38, and his son Quentin were pronounced dead this morning when an ice cream truck collided into the driver's side door of Watters' 2007 Chevrolet Impala. According to several sources, the Watters family was returning home from a cruise ship. A second child, Watters' younger son Jai, 9, was in the vehicle and is in serious condition.
According to the
Dothan Eagle, Carroll High students gathered at school at lunch and were greeted with counselors and community leaders. Graduation is tonight.
Senior Kevin White told the website that Watters was a father figure.
"He was amazing in all ways," White said.
Assistant Carroll principal Juli Parrish told the
Southeast Sun: "I've worked with a lot of coaches and I've never seen one that cared about the kids or had the relationship with his students that this one did. They loved him.
“He was the guy who was up here at 6 in the morning running the
stadium with kids who didn’t even play for him any more. He took them home. He fed them. He did anything for them."
Waters took over the 1-9 Carroll program in 2010 and it not only improved to 3-7 and barely missing the playoffs, but the program increased from 29 players to 100. He has spent seven previous seasons at Sumter County High School in Ga.
"Coach Watters was an energetic young coach who was making a difference in young people's lives," Alabama High School Athletic Association Executive Director Steve Savarese said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to his family, his team, Carroll and Southern Choctaw schools and we pray God will sustain them all during this difficult time."
Our hearts too and deepest condolences go out to the Watters family and the entire Carroll High School community.