Injuries play key role in success of a team

Injuries are just a part of football.

They can impact a team at any level – high school, college and the pros.

Injuries just go with the territory, as Anna-Jonesboro High School football coach Brett Detering pointed out as his squad’s 2009 season unfolded.

He said a coach just has to work around the inevitability of facing the injury bug when the football season rolls around.

But some fans just might be wondering how A-J’s 2009 season could have turned out if a seemingly never-ending series of injuries to key players challenged the squad.

A win over Du Quoin during the regular season might have been a reality. Who knows?

The Wildcats made it to the second round of the Class 3A IHSA playoffs before a heartbreaking loss to Pana.

With all of the players healthy, I felt they would have handled that team and then who knows how far they would have gone from there.

The Wildcats’ season came to an end with a loss in the playoffs to Pana. Even if the Wildcats had continued their playoff run, there is no telling how the injuries would have affected their play.

When the Wildcats were running full tilt, they were almost unstoppable.

The running trio of J.R. Woodward, Jordan Chamness and Gabe Pecord were a coach’s dream and a crowd pleaser.

All three players had big games at different times during the season, but injuries slowed even their contributions.

When Pecord took a handoff in A-J’s playoff game against Carterville, he was limping noticeablywhen he received the ball and somehow made it down to the goal line. I’ve never seen that feat in any class of football before.

During the playoffs, Woodward was obviously favoring an injured leg but was still making tackles.

The standouts on offense weren’t the only ones who faced challenges due to injuries.

A-J’s line play was impressive at times, with the hefty Josiah Miller clearing out holes and making bone- jarring tackles.

The play of linemen Josh Flamm, Michael Dillman, Alex Gonzalez, Luke Munsell and Jared Merriman also is worth noting.

The team didn’t pass a lot, but receivers Jordan Adams and David Frank made memorable catches.

There will be some big shoes to fill next year with the loss of the seniors, let’s hope the injury bug doesn’t become part of the 2010 season as well.  But then again, who really knows?