High School Football Player Suffers Spine Fractures After Opponent Pancakes Him - 'Barely Able To Walk'

The mother of a boy who suffered two "slight" fractures to his spine after being pancaked by an opponent during a high school football game is speaking out and wants equal justice. 

Courtney Mims' son, Colton, was injured last week during a Kalamazoo, Michigan area junior varsity game when her son, playing defense, was blocked to the ground by an opponent who then jumped in the air and squashed the boy for good measure. 

EMAIL: JOE.KINSEY@OUTKICK.COM

Mims says her son, who plays for Lakeshore High School, will be able to walk and will recover from what she originally categorized on Facebook as "assault" at the hands of a boy from Kalamazoo Central High School. 

(A Michigan mom is speaking out after her son suffered spine fractures after being flattened by an opponent with an unnecessary body-crushing splash tackle. / Facebook / Courtney Mims)

"[CT] scan shows two slight fractures on bottom of his spine. Barely able to walk currently but happily medicated," Mims wrote on Facebook. 

"Thank you to his team!!! What an INCREDIBLE group of young men to sit together praying for him until they heard. Thankful my boy is able to walk & will recover," she added. 

Mims says No. 73, the boy who pancaked her son, wasn't flagged on the play. Late last week, Mims said she was told that the boy would miss three games for his actions. 

"Nope. If my kid can’t play rest of season, HE won’t be playing rest of season. Internal investigation my ass. I’m sharing it everywhere," the distraught mother added on Facebook. 

By Sunday, Mims was still fired up. 

"We just want the apology and rightful consequences; accountability is too hard these days..," she said. 

Colton's opponents rally behind him after this ugly incident

Late Sunday night, Courtney Mims updated her Facebook page to reflect that boys from the Kalamazoo Central team sent apologies for the actions of their teammate. 

"They don’t want that label," Courtney continued. The kid made a terrible choice and they don’t stand behind it. They added that they have continously prayed for Colton.

"This truly brought me to tears, and has helped remind me that one players actions does not in fact, reflect an entire team, & hasnt; in all regards.

"We stand with the right side, and are so thankful to everyone in this community and extending that are behind us; and continue to share the story."

Statement from the Michigan High School Athletic Association on the incident

"Our staff has been speaking with both schools since Friday. Kalamazoo Central has taken this matter very seriously and they have taken strong and decisive action," the MHSAA said in a statement. 

"Due to student privacy laws, we cannot disclose the specific accountability actions, but they have exceeded what MHSAA regulations would otherwise require in cases of dangerous and unsportsmanlike behavior.

"Our schools can provide additional details as they decide to do so, since they are handling things internally."