LAKE OSWEGO – West Linn boys basketball coach Tyler Toney sat in the stands, about 10 rows from the floor Monday night at Lakeridge High School, far from his team’s bench as they played a Three Rivers League game against the Pacers.
It took some arm-twisting and a little medical fortune to get that close, however. Toney has spent the past six days at Willamette Falls Medical Center, recovering from a stroke.
“I’m physically a little weak right now, and lights are really sensitive to my eyes,” said Toney, who watched the No. 2 Lions grind out a 78-66 win over Lakeridge to remain unbeaten in TRL play at 9-0.
A familiar face grabbed a seat on West Linn’s bench in Toney’s absence in Eric Viuhkola, who coached West Linn to the past four Class 6A state championships before resigning last spring. Viuhkola is helping as an assistant for interim head coach Trevor Menne.
Toney began to have issues last Tuesday. While at home, Toney said he stood up and the room began to spin. He thought it was a migraine headache, something he’s periodically experienced throughout his life. That night, Toney coached West Linn’s win over Tigard.
“When you start coaching, you get involved and you don’t notice it. But right after the game, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I was dead tired,” said Toney, who assisted Viuhkola prior to taking over as West Linn head coach last summer.
Toney said his experience with migraines has been a 24-hour deal, and when he continued to feel ill Wednesday, he went to the emergency room. Following a battery of tests and scans, it was determined that the 36-year-old Toney had suffered a stroke.
“Literally from Tuesday to Friday, it felt like someone was hitting me in the head over and over,” Toney said.
Doctors told Toney that he’s in good physical shape, and that they’re not certain what triggered the incident. Toney said he began feeling better over the weekend, and perked up considerably when the entire team paid him a visit Saturday night.
“We’ve just been praying for him. He was looking better Saturday. It was good to see him here today,” said senior guard Braden Olsen, who led West Linn with 30 points against Lakeridge.
Toney checked out of Willamette Falls midday Monday, and hours later was in the gym, watching the Lions play. He got the doctor’s OK, but the person he had to sell most was his wife Michelle, who drove Toney to Lakeridge, as he can’t drive for a couple weeks.
“She wants me to stay home and get healthy, but she understands how important sports is our lives and to these kids. She’s really, really supportive. She played college basketball, so she understands how important basketball is on our lives,” Toney said.
Wearing a baseball cap, the hospital bracelet he’s had on his wrist most of the past week and a heart monitor, Toney watched most of the game in sunglasses, because of light sensitivity. He sat with Michelle, West Linn athletic director Mark Horak and a few friends.
Toney went to the locker room at halftime and after the game. Menne said Toney made a few observations to the team after the win, “but he was pretty low key.”
Viuhkola made his first appearance on West Linn’s bench Monday. He joked that “I hope I’m only on a two-day contract.”
Menne, who has never been a head coach, didn’t have Viuhkola last Friday when the Lions beat Canby 92-64.
“He kind of knows what he’s doing. It’s nice to have him there in my ear,” Menne said.
How long Menne and Viuhkola fill their current interim roles is unclear. Toney says he’s definitely out for Tuesday’s game at West Linn. The big issue for Toney is how he adjust to lights and loud noise.
Toney believes he’ll return sometime this season, with hope of resuming his coaching duties next week.
“You never know, but I anticipate to be back within two weeks, at least. We’re hoping this is a one-time thing, but we want to be careful about it,” Toney said.
–Nick Daschel | ndaschel@oregonian.com | @nickdaschel
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
