Schneider, Lakes show some backbone

You know you’re having a rough day when you go to the doctor to get some back pain checked out and you’re told you’ve got a broken back.

That was Justin Schneider’s reality just a few short months ago.

He was gearing up for his junior season at Lakes and had high hopes.

But suddenly, the 6-foot-8 center started experiencing intense pain in his back. He continued to play, but the pain got worse and worse. Finally, a few games into the season, Schneider went to the doctor.

“They told me I had a broken back, that I had several stress fractures in my lower back on my spine,” Schneider said. “They said I was done for the season.”

Doctors, who theorized that a quick, 3-inch growth spurt combined with all the pounding from a busy summer of basketball caused the stress fractures, immediately put Schneider into therapy.

He progressed far faster than anyone thought possible.

Schneider shaved a month off his rehab schedule and was cleared to play basketball two weeks ago.

On Wednesday night, he played in just his second varsity game since returning, and his first game at home.

The only pain that Schneider experienced was the hurt he inflicted on Chicago Roosevelt.

Schneider pumped in 11 points and pulled down 6 rebounds to lead sixth-seeded Lakes to a decisive 57-31 victory over No. 11 Roosevelt in a Class 3A regional semifinal at Lakes.

“It’s so amazing being back because I thought I was done,” Schneider said. “I was a little nervous out there and I was afraid of being tired. But the adrenaline of a big game and all the fans helped me out a lot. And I worked hard in practice and that helped a lot, too.”

The Eagles, who were up by 20 points at halftime, improve to 9-18 overall and advance to face No. 3 Ridgewood in Friday’s regional championship (7:30 p.m.) at Lakes. A victory would give Lakes its first-ever regional title.

“That (getting Schneider back unexpectedly) was such a nice surprise for us, finally a nice break for us for once,” said Lakes coach Chris Snyder, whose team has weathered long-term injuries to three key players (Jay-Jay Elvir, Nate McMahon and Schneider) this season. “It’s nice to have that presence inside. Obviously, we’re still working Justin back into shape, but he’s playing tough. He battles and he did some good things tonight.”

Ditto for plenty of Schneider’s teammates.

A total of 10 players scored for Lakes, led by junior guard Tanner Blain. He scored 15 points. The Eagles also played tough team defense, forcing Roosevelt into 27 turnovers.

Roosevelt, which closes out its season with a 10-13 record, left all nine of its seniors, including three starters, at home because of disciplinary reasons. The Rough Riders started three sophomores. Junior Denzel Brown led the way with 15 points but was one of only four Roosevelt players to score and the only one in double-figures.

“We played with a very young team but we’re not going to use that as an excuse,” Roosevelt coach Jerry Taylor said. “We also worked on committing fewer turnovers and handling the pressure better. But sometimes things just don’t go the way you planned.”