Merced County teen inspired by father who was sick with Valley Fever — and then COVID
There was a sparse crowd in the stands for the Buhach Colony football game against Merced last week at Dave Honey Stadium.
Family members of football players sat in clusters in the stands, due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Among the small gathering was the Hillyer family, bundled up in the rain to watch Thunder senior Nate Hillyer play his first game of his senior year.
However, notably missing from the stands was Nate’s father Tony Hillyer. People who know Tony know he’d never miss one of his kids’ football or basketball game if he can help it. Most of the time he was coaching one of his four sons’ teams from the sideline.
So it was awkward for Nate to look up in the stands and not see his dad. To not hear his voice yelling.
“He was there for every single snap or every single basketball game,” Nate said.
Playing for dad
While Nate’s long awaited senior football season was finally kicked off, Tony was at Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, recovering after a tough battle with COVID-19 that left him hospitalized since Jan. 19. He was taken by ambulance from his home after his oxygen levels dipped dangerously low.
“I played for my dad,” said Nate, who starts at middle linebacker for the Thunder. “He taught me everything. He taught me how to play football and basketball. He taught me how to respect the game. He was always cheering me on. I worked so hard on every single play because I know he’d want me to play harder.
“He was either sitting up in the stands or standing on the sideline.”
A battle with Valley Fever a couple years ago had left Tony susceptible to the coronavirus and when he was infected with COVID-19 it attacked his body.
During his hospitalization he was placed on a ventilator and put into a medically induced into a coma.
There were times when nurses at Doctors Medical Center told the family it was touch and go and they weren’t sure he’d make it through the night.
It’s tough situation for anyone to deal with, but particularly 17-year-old who’s very close with his father.
“It’s a shot right to the chest to hear your dad is like that,” Nate said. “That your dad might not be alive the next day. It creates a lot of anxiety on your mind. It makes sports, homework and everything else seem small.
“It’s a miracle he’s alive. I really believe it’s because all of the prayers.”
Team Tony
Soon after Tony was hospitalized, a Team Tony Facebook group was created and it grew to over 900 members. The group was created for the family to provide updates on Tony’s condition to friends and family. The page was also a way for friends to share stories and memories of Tony.
Soon Team Tony shirts were created and people posted photos of them wearing the shirts.
Nate says his family has been so touched by all the support.
“It’s gets very emotional,” he said. “It’s a wake-up call and a reminder that we’re a tight-knit community. My mom had 10 people in that Team Tony Facebook group that could help move my dad out of the hospital to another facility. It was amazing the support we received from everybody.”
Tony has spent years helping out coaching Merced County high school basketball teams at Buhach Colony, Atwater and Merced High. He’s also coached youth teams that his sons played on.
A lot of Nate’s teammates know his dad as Coach Hillyer.
“Knowing Tony, he’s kind of been like a second dad to me so it’s taken a downfall on me,” said Buhach Colony senior Jalon Jackson.
“I know Tony, he’s strong, he’s going to get through it…When I see (all the Facebook posts) I think there’s more support than I thought that there was. It makes me feel good that there are more people thinking and praying about Tony and not just his close friends and family.”
Football as an escape
Nate says the hardest part with his dad away has been the stability at home.
His mom, Heather, tries to visit Tony as much as possible. His older brother Stephen is trying to step up as the father figure at home and help run their dad’s business which is a non-emergency medical transportation service.
Meanwhile, Nate is trying to handle a class load that includes five AP classes and football.
Through it all, Nate has somehow managed to compile a 4.4 GPA. He plans to attend a school in the University of California system next year and major in biology.
“The Buhach organization has been so understanding,” Nate said. “I have to give a big shout out to my teachers. They’ve understood if I had to turn in an assignment late. My coaches have understood if I couldn’t get a ride to weight lifting.”
Buhach Colony coach Jerry Dietz is well aware of what is going on with the Hillyer family and understands if Nate has to miss a workout or can’t get a ride to school for practice.
“Tony has been around Buhach for so long,” Dietz said. “I’ve seen a lot of support and a lot of people are praying for him to get better. I know it’s tough. Nate’s been great communicating with me if he can’t make it to something. If he’s with his dad I understand.”
Nate says it’s been so helpful that he’s had football as a distraction with everything going on in his life. For two or three hours during a game or practice, he can concentrate on football and not worry about his dad.
It takes some of the anxiety away for just a moment.
“On the football field, everything else that is going on leaves my mind,” Nate said. “I concentrate only on football. The beauty of football is what happens on the football field stays on the football field and what happens outside of football stays on the outside.”
That’s why it meant so much for him to actually play a game last week. Nate is so grateful that he’s getting to play this final season with his teammates.
With his plans to go to a four-year university, he knows this will be his last time playing football.
“After high school some of us are going off to college, others are going to get jobs,” he said. “We weren’t even in school so we couldn’t see some of the guys. For me it’s my last year of playing football. At the most we’re going to play five games. It’s a terrible situation, but I’m grateful.
“Football builds so much character. It brings everyone together for one last time. It could have been for only one or two games. It could be one last play and I’d cherish it every day for the rest of my life.”
Hopefully working his way home
This week, Tony was transferred to a rehabilitation center in Folsom where hopefully he can continue his recovery and eventually return home. “Still some ways to go but he’s alive,” said Nate’s mother, Heather Margison-Hillyer. “It’s so awesome.”
Nate was excited to send off some highlight videos and pictures from his game to Tony over the weekend. Nate can’t hide his smile when he thinks about his dad watching the video on an iPad.
“It was awesome,” Nate said. “My dad has gone through so much. It’s tough for him to see the outside world because he been on a lot of drugs and medications. To know one of his sons worked so hard. A lot of people in my position would fold or be distracted, but I kept going because of him.”
Buhach Colony plays its second game on Friday night at Hilmar. Tony can expect another highlight video and photos from the game.
“I was so grateful (to be able to send the highlights) because I didn’t know if I was going to have a senior year in general,” Nate said. “Being able to show him my memories since he couldn’t be there was just awesome.”
Friday’s Games
Golden Valley at Atwater
Buhach Colony at Hilmar
Hughson at El Capitan (Veterans Stadium)
Gustine at Delhi
Le Grand at Livingston
Los Banos at Central Valley
Patterson at Pacheco
Mendota at Dos Palos
Chowchilla at Washington Union
Saturday
Waterford at Mariposa
This story was originally published March 25, 2021 at 1:16 PM.
