In a previous post, I described how Ian had broken his arm playing soccer this summer. He couldn't wait to get the cast removed in time for his first official high school soccer game on September 1st. That game saw the Dublin Jerome Celtics defeat the Westerville North Warriors by a score of 2-0.
In the second game of the season, Jerome played Olentangy Orange in a chippy, brutal match. The Celts were not playing well, so Ian was determined to make a difference. In a tenacious move through the middle third of the field, he was tripped up by two Warrior defenders. Subconsciously protecting his recently broken arm, he went down hard to the turf on his right shoulder. Incredibly, no foul was called. Ian jumped back up and resumed play for another five minutes or so, until the pain became too much for him.
On the sidelines, the trainer recognized a suspicious bump on his right collar bone. A trip to urgent care resulted in Ian hearing the words he was dreading...."broken clavicle"...."no soccer"...."six to eight weeks." I could see him quickly doing the math in his head. He'll likely be cleared to play again for the very last game of the high school season. However, he is taking the news pretty well. The club soccer season begins November 2nd.
Here are some photos of Ian's high school debut:
Winning a 50-50 ball.
Celebrating a goal...good times.
Anticipating the aftermath of a hard, solid slide tackle.
Going up for a header in close quarters...maybe too close.
White men CAN jump.
