Injuries - especially knee injuries - taking toll on area players
Sometimes the most memorable moments during the girls basketball season aren't the big shots, great defensive plays or disputed calls.
But they make you appreciate all of the above.
I witnessed a couple of those memorable moments the last two Mondays.
On Jan. 11 I was at Lisle for an Interstate Eight Conference matchup with Westmont. In the closing seconds Westmont guard Catherine Zapinski crumpled to the court, her knee buckling. She couldn't get up or support the leg. In the absence of a cart, Westmont coach Michael McCord hoisted his little guard up and carried her to the safety of the bench.
It was an anxious moment, but I found it poignant. Almost like McCord was a dad carrying his daughter away from danger. McCord was still unsure afterward the severity of the injury.
"We're keeping our fingers crossed," he said.
Just as McCord spoke, Zapinski's twin sister, Jennifer, walked by on crutches, the victim of an ACL tear.
Irony of cruel irony, it turned out that Catherine also tore her ACL. Now I understand that a study in 2006 revealed that 30,000 girls age 19 or younger suffered ACL injuries that required surgical repair, and that girls are up to eight times as likely to get ACL tears as boys.
But really, what are the odds of twin sisters going down in the same year? Hard to fathom.
Injuries are by nature unpredictable, but another the next night could similarly be described non-clinically as "freakish."
On a spin move to the basket, one she's probably done thousands of times in her young life, Montini's Michala Johnson went down.
Turns out, Johnson had a torn ACL in her right knee. Just a year after surgery on her left knee, Johnson's high school career is over.
On Monday at the McDonald's Shootout, the Willowbrook High School public-address announcer graciously honored Johnson prior to starting lineups. He touted her as "one of the best girls basketball players ever from the state of Illinois" and the first to sign with Connecticut.
Now we all know the saying "life isn't fair." But watching Johnson wave to the crowd in acknowledgement, you had to feel for the kid. What a raw deal. Part of me felt guilty for possessing two sound ACLs that will never let me jump as high or run as fast as Michala.
No doubt Michala shed a few tears after hearing about her injury, but she sure was the epitome of class and maturity talking about it to a cluster of reporters Monday. She showed a relentless optimism that you can appreciate almost more than her skills on the court.
"It's not the end of my life," she said, "or our season. I'm still going to have a smile on my face." And she did.
It's been a tough few weeks for teams I watch.
Naperville Central loses senior Catherine Tanck to yet another ACL tear. A streaking Lake Park team loses promising sophomore Alexis Hahn to a stress fracture in her back. Johnson's injury. Neuqua Valley junior McKenzie Hughes is forced to turn in her jersey because of heart problems that just won't leave her alone.
Like when Driscoll stunningly closed its doors just months after its girls basketball team won a state championship, the turnovers life throws you make you want to savor the good times between the lines a little more.
Here's hoping players, parents, coaches and fans appreciate those unforgettable moments on the court the last six weeks of the season. I know I will.
jwelge@dailyherald.com