Friday Night Lights (Final)

It is official today. Friday Night Lights is over for Cal. . . .

Why?

It was 3 weeks ago today, that Cal's team had a scrimmage to tune up for the start of the season. Cal was as healthy as he has been since the start of his Sophomore year, when he was the starting running back, starting safety and starting on all special teams for the Varsity team. Unfortunately, he broke his leg that year in the first game and missed the whole season.

Last year, some of you may remember the drama we went through as Cal was a third string running back only, but would consistently produce yards and touchdowns for the team when he did get in to play. At that time we felt the coach was playing favorites and we were getting the raw end of the deal.

Well this year, the head coach moved him to wide receiver and he earned the starting spot. I was not pleased and debated on calling the coach to ask why their star starter as a sophomore was now demoted to receiver as a senior. But I refrained. I figured that since I was not in practices, I would be blindly firing darts in the direction of the coach with no real ammunition other than to try to get my son back to being the star of the team: In other words, it was my personal agenda to see him at running back, so I let it go.

Cal worked hard at wide receiver and stated he was happy not to being playing running back. He was embracing his final season of High School Football with a positive attitude and looking forward to impressing some college scout enough to get a scholarship to play another year. He was also pushing hard to get a starting spot on the defense, even though he had not started a game on defense in 2 years.

During the scrimmage three weeks ago, Cal caught a pass over the middle and took a normal hit from the defensive back. But he felt a pop in his knee and limped off the field. There was swelling initially, but in a couple of days it went away, so he prepared for the first game of the season. The trainer told him it was probably a strained MCL, and a week or so off of it should heal it.

Monday after the scrimmage, the head coach called Cal in and told him he is going to start him on defense. Cal was thrilled. He was set to start at Wide Receiver, Cornerback, Kickoff team, and he was to be their kickoff returner. But his knee was still hurting, and by Friday, he knew he couldn't start. He dressed and played the end of the 3rd quarter and the 4th quarter on defense only. He made a couple of tackles and felt the knee held up well.

But the following week, the knee "popped" again in practice and he would be forced to sit out the entire 2nd game of the season. The trainer once again encouraged him to rest it to heal, and he would try to suit up for the 3rd game.

He tried to practice on Monday, but the knee "popped" on him again and this time the Trainer told him to go see a doctor. We went the next day and they set up an MRI. Today we got the results of the MRI: Torn ACL...... High School Football over. Cal had a great Freshman year, a frustrating Junior year, and now it is over.... What a change from what we expected at the start of his Sophomore year.

Oh well. He took it pretty well. "We've been through this before" he said. We will schedule his surgery in the next couple of weeks and then start rehab. He should be jogging in 6 weeks and fully rehabbed and ready for Track Season in 4 months. Then he tries to repeat earning a trip to State in the Open 200.

And so concludes Friday Night Lights (at lease for another 7 years, when my next son will enter high school).

This all pales in comparison to the people dealing with Hurrican Ike. Send your good thoughts and prayers to JJOK and any others you may know in Texas.

See you at the tables tonight....