James Bowie High School junior Scott Akins has always fought hard on the football field-always proud to wear his blue and gold Pirates jersey with #30 on the front.
Now he's facing a much bigger battle.
"Prayers. We just need prayers and positive thoughts. It's very serious, and we are not facing the best odds. But we are still fighting. We are fighting as a team and as a community," Scott's mom, Emillia Akins said Tuesday.
Scott, 17, of Simms, Texas, was injured Friday, Sept. 22 while playing for the James Bowie Pirates against Maud. He was rushed to CHRISTUS St. Michael where doctors told his family he had suffered a massive brain bleed.
Doctors did emergency surgery the night of the accident and removed part of Scott's skull to relieve pressure. He was then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Little Rock where he remains in a coma.
He has also started having what they call "storms." He has developed pneumonia and fevers that have been hard to get under control.
"The biggest goal right now is to get his body temperature regulated," Emillia Akins said.
Scott is also the son of Robert Akins and has a sister Alyssa, 19.
He has loved football since he was so small the jersey hung to his knees.
"Other than his family, he loves football more than anything. He literally was doing the thing he loved to do when he was injured. His teammates and coaches are just as much family to him as we are," Emillia Akins said.
He especially loves the University of Texas Longhorns and many students and staff at James Bowie wore Longhorn shirts in honor of Scott during recent school photos.
The family appreciates the support they have received from the entire community. Team members and classmates along with players from rival teams have visited the hospital in Little Rock.
Emillia calls herself "Scott's biggest fan."
She had never missed a game until the one when he was injured.
She had a minor surgical procedure scheduled that day and was home recovering during the game. Scott's dad and grandmother were at the game.
"He took a hit early in the game, but he kept playing. His heart is so big and he never quits," Emilla said.
Toward the end of the game, he was down again and doctors believe he was kicked in the neck during a tackle.
"They got him up and walked him to the sidelines. He was talking to the coaches but then he started sweating and grabbed his head," Akins said. He lost consciousness soon after.
"Right now, we are fighting an extremely difficult battle, but we are still fighting. It's going to take every bit of hope and prayer that is out there, but we are still fighting," his mother said.
A GoFundMe account has bet set up for Scott's family at gofundme.com/764gr-team-scott-30 along with a "Pray for Scott Akins' Facebook page.