The outpouring of support from around the tri-state for Batavia High School senior Nate Watson and his family reached a crescendo on Friday, February 1, as Batavia High School hosted ‘Win for Watson’ night against Goshen.
The school took donations for the family at the gate, sold tickets for raffles and split-the-pot contests throughout the game, and held a halftime shooting challenge to raise money for the Watson Family. Nate Watson was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma just before the start of the season.
Fans at the game were asked to wear purple to support Watson during his fight, and spectators clad in purple from schools sides packed the stands. Batavia head coach Aaron Brose said the atmosphere at the game was electric.
“It’s as good as any that I’ve been in,” Brose said. “For the cause, and Nate and his family, it was incredible. When he was announced in pre-game, it gave me chills.”
Brose said Watson, who was a second-team all-league selection as a junior, has brought more to the team than stats can show.
“I know for him, he wishes he’d score more points or get more rebounds,” Brose said. “I don’t think he realizes the impact he’s had has been much bigger than any 20-point game or 10-rebound game or anything like that.”
Brose also said Watson’s attitude has set an example for the team this season.
“It’s hard to quantify,” Brose said. “Here’s a kid who’s dealing with something that a lot of people don’t even think about dealing with and he’s showing up every day. He’s working his tail off, he’s being a great teammate. He’s doing the best he can, his attitude couldn’t be more positive. He’s been a leader in everything he’s done for us.”
Over $9,000 was raised at the game for the family. In addition to the efforts at Batavia High School, fundraisers were held throughout the county. Felicity raised money for the Watson family against Miami Valley Christian Academy on Saturday, February 2, while Williamsburg and Georgetown did likewise the night before.
Fellow Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference member Clinton-Massie has reached out in support of the Watson Family, but the supporters aren’t limited to the surrounding area. Brose said the team has received messages from Cincinnati Country Day, Mason and Madeira, among others.
“The community support has been amazing,” Brose said. “We really appreciate it.”
Batavia athletic director Ben Stewart read a statement from the Watson Family in the second half of the game thanking fans for support.
“On behalf of Nate and his family, we want everyone to know how deeply we appreciate all of you coming out to show support for both Nate and anyone who is or has faced this challenge,” the statement read. “We have been overwhelmed with emotion in witnessing how many hearts have been touched or inspired by Nate’s story. Through the years of watching our son play this game he loves, we have seen intense and competitive play on the court, but this journey has shown us that those same competitors are also some of his strongest supporters. We will be forever grateful for all the ways our community has come together to make Nate’s fight have a purpose. Please remember this diagnosis is real for so many people everyday and they can always use your encouragement. Thank you, and God bless each of you.”
More schools stepped up to support Watson over the last few days. Western Brown collected donations for the family before the game against the Bulldogs on Tuesday, February 5, while Clinton-Massie has organized a chili dinner prior to the game on Friday, February 8.
That same day, Wilmington High School began selling t-shirts and announced a raffle will be held at the game against Batavia on February 12.