John's Journal Favorite 15: Perham’s Zach Gabbard Returns To The Gym
From 2011: After Cardiac Arrest And Amid Rehabilitation, Zach Reunites With His Teammates At State Tournament
Posted: Monday, July 14, 2025 - 3:51 PM
Welcome to the first installment of my John’s Journal Favorite 15, culled from all the John’s Journal stories during my 15 years with the MSHSL. This story from the 2011 boys state basketball tournament was and is very emotional. It originally appeared on March 23, 2011.
Zach Gabbard can’t talk in more than a whisper, but his message was loud and clear before the Perham Yellowjackets opened play in the Class 2A boys state basketball tournament Wednesday.
In the locker room, coach Dave Cresap asked Zach if he had any advice before the Yellowjackets faced Virginia at Williams Arena. Zach told the boys, “Just win.”
Just win. That’s what Zach has been doing since Jan. 20, when he collapsed on the court during a game at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton. Cardiac arrest changed him from a skinny high school junior who was full of life into a young man fighting for his life. Thanks to an AED, quick action from people at the game and first responders, along with multiple surgeries in Fargo and Minneapolis, Zach was able to be with his friends in the gym once more.
He’s weak, there’s no doubting it. He was recently moved from University Hospitals to Bethesda Rehabilation Hospital in St. Paul, where he is undergoing a daily treatment regimen. He’s in a wheelchair, but he was certainly able to shake hands and laugh with his teammates on Wednesday. And when Zach was wheeled out to the court during pregame warm-ups … oh my, it was one of the most memorable things I have ever witnessed.
You see, Zach’s appearance was a secret. Cresap knew and Zach’s parents, Steve and Meridee, knew. The MSHSL knew, as did a couple of media members. There was a very small media presence in the locker room when the team and Zach were reunited. The players had been told that a video link would allow them to see and talk with Zach before their game. So they gathered in their locker room, around a big-screen TV.
From behind them came a smiling Zach, pushed by his dad. The kids spent 15 minutes or so shaking hands and hugging Zach, joking about his short haircut and their missed free throws. And the smiles, oh the smiles, especially on the faces of Meridee and Steve. How hard has this been for them and their son? We can only imagine, but Wednesday was a very special day.
The next surprise came when Zach went to the court. As his wheelchair was lifted onto the famous elevated court, the crowd first buzzed, then stood … and cheered … and applauded like crazy. Tears? Oh yes, tears.
As the Virginia players were introduced, they ran to the other end of the court and shook hands with Zach or patted him on the back. Zach was introduced along with the rest of the Perham reserves, and the wave of applause and cheers returned. Zach and his parents sat behind the Yellowjackets bench during the game, back where a spot has been saved for Zach since that day in January. “One Clap for Zach” t-shirts filled the stands.
In the locker room, Cresap had told his team, “We love this guy to death and we need to be focused on what we need to do.”
The Yellowjackets found their focus and defeated Virginia 57-40. They will play in the state semifinals Friday at 6 p.m. The game will be played at Target Center and it will be televised by Channel 45. Will Zach be back again? I don’t know, but it’ll be worth watching.
In the postgame locker room, with Zach and the boys gathered once more, Cresap told them, “This is magical. You guys probably don’t even realize how special this is.”
He asked Zach if he had any advice before the state semifinals. “Win the next one,” he whispered.
Cheers. Tears. Relief. Emotion. Joy. One of Zach’s teammates summed up the events perfectly as the Yellowjackets left the locker room, where they had been reunited with their friend, to take the court for the school’s first-ever appearance in the boys state basketball tournament. He said simply, “I have goosebumps.”
Join the club.
—Note: The Yellowjackets went on to win their first boys basketball state title.
--Feel free to contact me via email: [email protected]. You can follow me on Bluesky at @minnesotamillea.bsky.social and on Twitter/X @MinnesotaMillea
Perham basketball player Zach Gabbard, who collapsed during a January game due to cardiac arrest, was reunited with the team at the 2011 state tournament at Williams Arena.
