In fact, Weaver didn’t miss a game last year and had watched 13 games heading into last week.

But on Feb. 10 her reason for being absent arrived about 1:56 p.m. at St. John Hospital in Leavenworth.

Weaver gave birth to a girl, Skylar Dee, who weighed 5 pounds, 7 ounces and was 19 1/2 inches long. Skylar is the second child for Weaver and husband, George.

They have another daughter, McKinzie, who will turn 2 on Saturday.

Skylar was born three weeks early, and Weaver thought a tense moment the day before attributed to the birth.

Driving east on Interstate 70, Weaver was headed to a doctor’s appointment at Shawnee Mission Medical Center.

About two miles from her I-635 exit, a truck that was driving in front of her lost rolls of carpet from its bed.

A roll hit Weaver’s vehicle and she swerved into the median wall.

She then went back across the eastbound traffic and into the ditch.

Everything was a blur after that.

All Weaver could see was white, but instead of a bright light at the end of a tunnel, it was her car’s air bag.

Witnesses told Weaver that she was driving on two wheels when she hit the median, but she doesn’t remember.

After the traumatic sequence, Weaver went to the doctor just to be safe. She came away with a few scratches on her hand and the baby checked out fine as well.

Still couldn’t stay away

Weaver’s other sister Kara Clark, who works at the medical center, advised her sister not to attend that game the next day. But Weaver, of course, didn’t want to break her streak as a spectator at Addie’s games.

Skylar, apparently, disagreed.

“My baby couldn’t take it,” Weaver said. “She didn’t want to see the game.”

Luckily, Heim was able to see her sister and new niece before her game that day.

Near the end of school, Heim was told to come by the high school office. She was panicked when a note read that she needed to grab her books and head outside.

When she came outside, Kara was waiting for her.

“She said, ‘You’re a new aunt,'” Heim said. “It was neat to see her before I had to go play even though I couldn’t stay and hold her.”

I see a trend here

Piper, Weaver’s alma mater, was Tonganoxie’s opponent the day Skylar was born.

Coincidentally, McKinzie’s birth also came within hours of a Tonganoxie-Piper basketball game.

The Piper junior varsity coach at the time, Weaver returned from Tonganoxie after her game. With McKinzie, however, Weaver was overdue. At 2 a.m. the next morning, she went into labor.

After graduating from Piper, Weaver later played basketball at Johnson County and Washburn before returning to her alma mater to teach physical education. She also played volleyball and softball at PHS and ran track.

Weaver, however, got out of coaching basketball when McKinzie was born. She stayed on as the girls track coach at PHS that coming spring, but Weaver will give up coaching track next month after giving birth to Skylar.

Still, the determined Weaver can’t stay away from her sister’s games. Weaver attended Friday’s match-up in Shawnee against Mill Valley and Saturday’s game in Tonganoxie against Santa Fe Trail while her husband took care of their children at home.

“When it’s in your blood, you can’t get rid of it,” Weaver said.

Always by her side

Heim said Weaver has been her “coach” since she was little. Still, the Tonganoxie junior said her sister could have taken a break on Friday and Saturday.

“I knew she shouldn’t have been there,” Heim said. “I can’t say that I’m surprised because she’s there every game.”

Athletics runs in the Heim family. Father H.B. played basketball at Immaculata. Kara played volleyball, basketball and softball at Piper and then played softball at Kansas City Kansas Community College. And now, Addie plays volleyball, basketball and softball at Tonganoxie. As for Weaver’s husband, George played football, basketball and baseball at Piper before playing football at Kansas State and Southwest Missouri State.

Rooting for the enemy

Weaver always has been mad for sports, but she wasn’t always crazy about rooting for Tonganoxie.

After all, she and her sister grew up in the Piper school district.

And although her mother, Sandra, went to Tonganoxie, it was difficult for Weaver to root for the rival Chieftains.

“It took me a long time to ever come to Addie’s games and wear red, that’s for sure,” Weaver said.

Still, Weaver puts on her Chieftain red whenever she gets a chance to watch the team play.

“I enjoy watching not only Addie but the whole team this year,” Weaver said. “They’re really exciting.”

Before Tuesday’s game at Perry-Lecompton, the Chieftains were tied with De Soto for first place in the Kaw Valley League with a 7-1 record. THS is 12-4 overall.

Heim, an all-league selection last year, usually is Tonganoxie’s top scorer each game this season.

Those numbers could have been produced in a Piper uniform, but Heim moved with her parents to rural Tonganoxie when she was in the eighth grade to be closer to her grandmother, Virginia Murphy.

Initially, she wanted to follow in her sisters’ purple shoes, but Heim now proudly wears red, white and gold.

“I just really learned to love Tonganoxie and the people here are great and I’m really glad I moved,” Heim said.

As for her sister-coach, Weaver would like to get back into coaching, but that could be down the road.

“I’d like to maybe get back into it someday, but right now, being a mom is the most important thing,” Weaver said.

Luckily, Weaver’s accident didn’t hinder that in any way.

“The reason I got to be at the games Friday and Saturday and home safe is because the Lord’s been protecting us,” Weaver said. “He was there and we’re all safe.

“We thank him for that, that’s for sure.”