Decatur football, community rally around Bob Knox

Stephen Decatur football has had a rough season to say the least.

Decatur lost several key players due to either graduation or transfer.

And longtime head coach Bob Knox, who has coached the Seahawks since 1984, had to take a leave of absence due to family health reasons.

"From the time coach Knox told me that he would have to take a leave of absence from coaching to help care for his grandson, I knew this would not be a normal year," Stephen Decatur High School principal Tom Zimmer said.

But that doesn't mean they have given up hope.

"Thus far, we haven't won a game, but it hasn't been for lack of effort," Zimmer said. "Our players and coaches work hard during practice each week and play hard every Friday night."

Current players on the Seahawks have not forgotten what Knox has done for the team and for the program.

"He meant a lot to me," said senior defensive end and tight end Kevin Voyles. "We keep playing for his grandson."

Senior center and nose guard Jian Joobeen said it has been hard pushing through day-to-day without Knox on the sideline, but added the Seahawks have been working hard throughout the season.

Zimmer said the assistant coaches under Knox, including Stan Griffin, who has taken over as head coach for the time being, as well as Fred Billings and Joe Andrews, have stepped up to lead the team.

"It has been tough," interim head coach Stan Griffin said. "(The players) have the ability to play this game for a limited time only. They are playing for the love of the game."

Griffin said Knox's family situation has weighed on the players' minds throughout the season but he knows Knox would not want his team to dwell on it.

"We all come out here to play together and do our best to finish strong," Joobeen said.

Despite this, Decatur hangs on to hope. The team, along with the rest of the Stephen Decatur High School community, have rallied around Knox and his family.

On each one of Stephen Decatur's helmets this season is a blue sticker in the shape of a football. Eli, Knox's grandson's name, is written inside the football.

"It has been an amazing show of support from the community," Zimmer said. "Coach Knox has been able to see how much people care about him and his family and what he has meant, not only to (Decatur) football, but to many people in the community."

Zimmer said the outpouring of support has come from all over the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

"The idea that Kent Island, Easton and Queen Anne's football programs would make donations just shows the respect that people have for Coach Knox," Zimmer said.

In addition to support coming from other schools, there has been a GoFundMe account to help Knox's grandson, Zimmer said, which has raised over $15,000 as of Oct. 28.

"We continue to try to raise money to defray the astronomical medical expenses," Zimmer said. "I am proud to say that I am a principal in such an amazing community."