(La Porte, IN) - It’s hard to believe that ten years have passed since Jake West collapsed and died on a football practice field from sudden cardiac arrest. Before Friday night’s football season opener at La Porte High School, there was a special ceremony to honor his legacy.

 

Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one killer of student-athletes and the leading cause of death on school campuses Thanks to a new state law named after Jake, AEDs are now required at all K-12 extracurricular events.

 

Prior to Friday night’s game, members of the La Porte High school community met Jake’s mother, Julie West, at the 26-yard line and presented her with his #26 game jersey. A #26 flag was hoisted in Jake’s honor behind the end zone, and the crowd observed 26 seconds of silence.

 

It was fitting that New Prairie fans were on hand. They too lost a student to an undiagnosed heart condition—Mark Mayfield in 2017.

 

New Prairie and La Porte High School were the 1st and 5th high schools in the state to receive an Indiana Heart Safe Designation.

 

Carnations provided by Thode Floral were also sold Friday night and placed at Jake's monument. Volunteers with the Play for Jake Foundation and Bolt for the Heart were on hand to help with the fundraising, which West said really paid off for La Porte and New Prairie schools. “We sold over 1,000 carnations and took in over $3,000, so we will be able to get one AED for both schools to use where they see best for. It was an amazing night all around.”

 

Amazing, indeed. As Friday’s game unfolded, #26 was certainly smiling down on Kiwanis Field. La Porte knocked off heavily-favored New Prairie in dramatic fashion and reclaimed the travelling Milk Jug Trophy for the first time in five years.