The news of the sudden, mysterious death of 12-year-old Jake Hodge, the son of Crittenden County baseball coach Denis Hodge and girls' basketball coach Shannon Hodge, was a jolt to anyone in the community ... and indeed, anyone who is a parent.
By all accounts, Jake Hodge was a fine athlete and the picture of health. He died in his sleep sometime Saturday morning, and an autopsy has been unable to determine the cause of death. Some tests are pending, but a real possibility exists that the Hodge family will never know exactly what killed their son and brother.
"It's a tragedy," said Chris Evans, editor and publisher of The Crittenden Press newspaper and a former Paducah Sun sports writer. "This is a community that's been devastated. Denis and Shannon are first-class people, coaches who do it for the right reasons. They're as competitive as anyone, but they teach their kids about life as much as they do coach a sport."
Indeed, both Hodges had years to remember. Shannon Hodge took Crittenden to the All A Classic state tournament, knocking off higher-seeded teams in regional play. Less than a month ago, Denis Hodge led the baseball team to a Second Region tournament win over favored Hopkinsville, the school's first such win in 31 years.
"Everyone here knows them, and we're all in shock," Evans said. "There were 1,200 people at the funeral (in the high school gym) and about 2,500 signed the register. Jake was a great kid, and he probably would have been one of the best athletes to ever come through here."
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