The Clear Spring community grieved the deaths of Clear Spring High School students Tyler Josenhans, Kannon Shives and Clayton Knode on Friday following a traffic collision on Interstate 81 Thursday evening.
Josenhans, 17, of Hagerstown, was to begin his junior year on Monday. Knode and Shives, each 16 and of Clear Spring, were to begin their sophomore years.
Three teens die in crash:Collision on I-81 near Hagerstown
Josenhans and Knode were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash. Shives was flown to the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore and died from his injuries Friday.
All three were athletes for the Blazers.
Reaction was swift on social media across Washington County
As a sophomore, Josenhans won a Maryland Class 1A state title in the high jump during the state indoor track and field championships at the Fifth Regiment Armory in Baltimore in February. During the outdoor track and field season, he was the only Washington County athlete to clear 6 feet and finished third in the state meet. He earned Herald-Mail All-Washington County first-team honors both indoors and outdoors.
Josenhans also played on Clear Spring’s baseball team, which won the Class 1A state championship in May — the program’s first state title in 42 years, and second overall.
Shives had a standout freshman year as a soccer goalkeeper and baseball player, and also was a key member of the varsity boys basketball team.
He made the all-county boys soccer second team, making 93 saves in his nine appearances (10.94 per game) and posting a 1.88 goals-against average.
“Kannon was a true athlete,” wrote boys soccer head coach Lynn Mills in an email Friday. “His first love was baseball, but he was one of the best goalkeepers that has come through our area. He was a coach’s dream for a keeper — tall, quick, loud, fearless — one of the best I’ve seen. I had a college coach tell me after last year’s playoffs that he was without a doubt (NCAA Division I) material. He worked hard — even after every two-hour soccer practice, Kannon would still put in 30 minutes or so of throwing baseballs.”
Shives was even better on the baseball diamond last spring for the Blazers’ state championship squad. Shives — the son of head coach Mark Shives — made the all-county first team after hitting .347 with seven doubles. He finished second among county public-school players with 22 RBIs and scored 18 runs. He had two wins and three saves as a pitcher.
Shives averaged 9.0 points and 7.7 rebounds in 21 games for the basketball team.
Knode was a member of Clear Spring’s varsity boys soccer, basketball and baseball teams as a freshman.
“Clayton was a one of a kind, always had a smile, loved life, a player a coach dreams of having 12 of,” wrote Mills. “Clayton did whatever he was told, played any position and never complained about anything. He was like another son to me. When I showed up to practice, almost every day, Clayton would say, ‘Hey Coach Mills, how was your day?’
“We were looking forward to a great season. I’m not sure now if I can even do this. The team is very upset. I guess it will be one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever faced. I know how hard this is going to be as a team. I can’t imagine what it is on the parents.”
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