MOCKSVILLE — A cursory look at War Eagle stadium shows a friendly, soft field of
natural grass.It’s
plain to see from the way practice starts that stretching exercises take place in the same
manner as any other football practice.
Davie County football head coach
Doug Illing can’t do anything further to protect his players — short of silly
superstitions like lucky rabbit feet or voodoo chants.
But if six War Eagles tear the
anterior cruciate ligaments in their knees in 1999 in a repeat performance from the
’98 season, don’t put anything past him.
As the War Eagles prepared for
practice Wednesday, several players hobbled about in various stages of knee-braced
readiness. Of the six athletes who tore one of the most important ligaments in their
bodies, three graduated and three have had the surgery, done the rehab and are ready to
give it another go, scars and all.
“We were on pins and needles
Saturday for the first hitting day,” Illing said. “It was the first day back for
them that put them to a full test.
“Fortunately, everything
worked out, but we’ll be holding our breath all season.”
Summer typically is a busy time
for football players, but no one was more busy in the offseason than senior running back
Ricky White, senior strong safety Jeremy Shoffner and junior offensive lineman Jhockton
Dalton. All three players went through extensive rehabilitation sessions to rebuild their
football careers.
“It’s been long. I had
to do a lot of work this summer,” White said. “Exercises, work in the pool, leg
extensions to get my muscles back ….”
When Davie County convened for
practice the first week of August, the muscle tone and strength showed up. But for any
player who suffered through an injury like that one, doubts also appeared.
That’s why Saturday was the
key: the first day of contact. So far, so good.
“I’m just a little bit
worried how I’m going to do,” White said. “There’s nothing I can do
about it. I just have to hope it stays OK.”
As do all the Davie coaches of all
the rebuilt knees. Dalton’s name tops the depth chart at one of the guard spots,
while Shoffner plays outside linebacker. White is the tailback the War Eagles are counting
on to help compete for the Central Piedmont Conference championship.
“He’s the one we’re
really holding our breath on,” Illing said. “He tells us it’s strong and
full and that he’s good to go. But if he goes down we’ll have to put the pieces
back together.”
That’s what happened last
year. White was enjoying his best game of the season, at South Rowan, before going down.
The psychological effects of the injury took their toll as much as the physical.
“Frustrating,” White
said. “I didn’t even want to come to the games any more.”
But this year he’ll be there,
making up for lost time. They’ll all be there — knee braces and all.
Maybe even with four-leaf clovers. |
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