CARRIERE — Pearl River Central’s football team has a new face on the sideline.

Melissa Loewen will serve as the Blue Devils’ first full-time athletic trainer in the school’s recent history, working with all of the teams within the school district.

“I am excited to undertake the challenge as the first full-time athletic trainer here. It’s a big responsibility, but I am confident I will contribute to the school’s success and hope to be here for a long time.”

Last year, PRC Head Coach Larry Dolan said the football team was fortunate to have Highland Community Hospital’s help throughout the season.

“Highland did a great job and we appreciate everything they did for us,” Dolan said.

This year, Ochsner Sports Medicine Institute contacted PRC to offer their services to provide one sports trainer for mostly every team at the school.

Loewen graduated from East Central University, where she earned a bachelor’s in athletic training. Later, she earned a master’s in education with a concentration in sports administration. Now in her third year as a certified athletic trainer, Loewen brings experience and optimism to the Blue Devil staff.

“My job is to take the load off of the coaching staff and help these players either recover from injuries or learn how to prevent them from happening,” Loewen said.

Dolan said Loewen has already demonstrated the importance of her role on the staff, as she is helping PRC’s starting running back Louis Reece recover from an ACL injury that occurred during the offseason.

Every day, Loewen can be spotted assisting the injured Blue Devil players on the sidelines, preparing to take on the 2017 season, which starts Aug. 18.