High School

Texas community on its Knees as a Beloved High School Football Star Battles in the ICU

Town rallies behind No. 44 after a heartbreaking accident left a senior leader in critical condition and a school district searching for hope.

Levi Payton

A community is rallying together in support of a high school senior football standout currently in the ICU battling injuries.
A community is rallying together in support of a high school senior football standout currently in the ICU battling injuries. / Oladipo Awowale

A tight-knit North Texas community is holding a prayer vigil this week for Caden Nowicki, a senior football standout at Ponder High School who remains in critical condition following a devastating sledding accident on Monday.

The incident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Amyx Hill Road in Ponder, located in Denton County. According to a preliminary report from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Nowicki was being towed in a kayak by an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) when the kayak left the roadway.

Nowicki, 17, was ejected from the kayak and struck a fence, suffering life-threatening injuries. He was airlifted to Medical City Denton, where he remains in the intensive care unit.

Ponder community rallies behind "Wicki"

News of the accident has shaken the Ponder community, where Nowicki is known as a leader on and off the field. Ponder ISD Superintendent James Hill described the senior as an "outstanding young man who is loved by many" in a letter sent to district families.

"We ask that you keep Caden, his family, and friends in your fervent prayers and respect their need for privacy during this very difficult time," Hill wrote. "Our hearts are with them."

Nowicki, a 5-foot-10, 215-pound middle linebacker who wears No. 44, was a vital part of the Lions’ defense this past season. He earned District 6-3A honorable mention honors after recording 50 tackles, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles through eight games, helping lead Ponder to a 5-4 record.

Head coach issues call for prayers

Ponder head football coach Marcus Schulz took to social media to ask for support for the player known affectionately by teammates as "Wicki." Schulz emphasized Nowicki's reputation as a competitor in a heartfelt post shared on X.

“Please help us pray for one of our football athletes who was involved in a terrible sledding accident yesterday,” Schulz posted. “We all know that GOD IS A WAY MAKER and is with Caden right now healing him! Please continue to pray for him and his family at this time. We all know the kind of fighter he is and we KNOW he will keep fighting! We all love you WICKI!!!”

Caden Nowicki attempts to make a tackle against the Bonham Purple Warriors
Caden Nowicki (44) was named honorable mention District 6-3A inside linebacker after recording 50 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles while helping the Lons to a 5-4 record. / Oladipo Awowale

To support the Nowicki family, Ponder ISD has begun collecting food gift cards. Community members can drop off donations at the Ponder High School front office once classes resume following the recent winter storm closures.

Safety Warnings Amid North Texas Winter Storm

The accident involving Nowicki is the latest in a series of sledding tragedies that have struck North Texas during Winter Storm Fern. On Tuesday night, family members confirmed the death of a second teenager following a similar accident in Frisco.

Grace Brito, 16, passed away after being hospitalized since Sunday afternoon. She and her best friend, 16-year-old Elizabeth Angle, were being pulled behind a Jeep on a sled when they struck a curb and a tree. Angle, a sophomore soccer player at Frisco Wakeland High School, died shortly after the crash.

Brito’s mother told local reporters that her daughter was a selfless person and a registered organ donor. The family is currently moving through that process to honor her wishes after she recently received her driver's license.

Texas DPS officials stated that the investigation into the Ponder accident is ongoing, and it is not yet clear if the driver of the ATV will face any charges.

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Levi Payton
LEVI PAYTON

Levi’s sports journalism career began in 2005. A Missouri native, he’s won multiple Press Association awards for feature writing and has served as a writer and editor covering high school sports as well as working beats in professional baseball, NCAA football, basketball, baseball and soccer. If you have a good story, he’d love to tell it.

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