Tiger Boys Struggling With Injuries
December 9, 2022 at 12:00 a.m.
Tiger Boys Struggling With Injuries
By Roger Grossman-
He has since followed up that statement by saying that no one achieves greatness without facing adversity.
If those things are true, then the Warsaw boys basketball team is set up to have one of its most memorable seasons ever.
Warsaw has started the season 2-1 heading into a Saturday night showdown at Fort Wayne North Side this weekend.
Let’s just say the health of the team has been…well…not the best.
The problems started when projected starter Theo Katris tore his ACL during the first quarter of the sectional championship football game at Carroll.
His brother, Nick, finished football with turf toe and a recurring shoulder problem. He limped through the preseason practice schedule and played well in the season-opening win over Columbia City.
But during practice the following week, He injured his shoulder again during a free throw rebounding drill that left him unable to keep going and may ultimately end his season.
And then there is the undeniable leader of team, Jaxson Gould.
Gould injured is right shoulder during the scrimmage against Kokomo. It looked bad at the time, but he came back out later that night and finished the scrimmage.
But the pain never left. As a matter of fact, it got worse.
In the win over the Eagles, he managed his way through the night, but it was still noticeably affecting him. He even hunched over after a teammate gave him a high-five.
Testing revealed the senior guard had torn his labrum, and surgery would be required.
That was not going to work for him.
He put on a shoulder brace to hold the shoulder in place but doesn’t take the pain away.
Only surgery can do that.
Most kids would have headed to the surgeon’s table to get it fixed before the summer and the start of college workouts.
Not Jaxson Gould.
He, knowing that the next bump that shoulder takes could be the one that ends his brilliant high school career, said “I am playing.”
So, he’s with the team at practice but not actively participating in drills, and he’ll continue doing that until…well…until his season ends—however and whenever it ends.
Gould says it’s worth it.
Coach Matt Moore isn’t arguing.
“Jaxson is tough, man,” Moore said Saturday morning on Tiger Talk on News Now, “and he’s going to give it every ounce of whatever he has. I want it to be in a safe manner—to protect him—but just having him out there helps the team in terms of leadership and direction.”
Moore also says there is no room of feeling sorry for yourself because of the injuries.
“We have to move on with where we are at,” Moore says. “We can’t make excuses about what hasn’t gone our way. We have young guys that we were going to utilize anyway in some capacity this year. Their role has grown now.”
Warsaw will be at Fort Wayne North Side Saturday, and then start conference play Dec. 16 at Wawasee.
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He has since followed up that statement by saying that no one achieves greatness without facing adversity.
If those things are true, then the Warsaw boys basketball team is set up to have one of its most memorable seasons ever.
Warsaw has started the season 2-1 heading into a Saturday night showdown at Fort Wayne North Side this weekend.
Let’s just say the health of the team has been…well…not the best.
The problems started when projected starter Theo Katris tore his ACL during the first quarter of the sectional championship football game at Carroll.
His brother, Nick, finished football with turf toe and a recurring shoulder problem. He limped through the preseason practice schedule and played well in the season-opening win over Columbia City.
But during practice the following week, He injured his shoulder again during a free throw rebounding drill that left him unable to keep going and may ultimately end his season.
And then there is the undeniable leader of team, Jaxson Gould.
Gould injured is right shoulder during the scrimmage against Kokomo. It looked bad at the time, but he came back out later that night and finished the scrimmage.
But the pain never left. As a matter of fact, it got worse.
In the win over the Eagles, he managed his way through the night, but it was still noticeably affecting him. He even hunched over after a teammate gave him a high-five.
Testing revealed the senior guard had torn his labrum, and surgery would be required.
That was not going to work for him.
He put on a shoulder brace to hold the shoulder in place but doesn’t take the pain away.
Only surgery can do that.
Most kids would have headed to the surgeon’s table to get it fixed before the summer and the start of college workouts.
Not Jaxson Gould.
He, knowing that the next bump that shoulder takes could be the one that ends his brilliant high school career, said “I am playing.”
So, he’s with the team at practice but not actively participating in drills, and he’ll continue doing that until…well…until his season ends—however and whenever it ends.
Gould says it’s worth it.
Coach Matt Moore isn’t arguing.
“Jaxson is tough, man,” Moore said Saturday morning on Tiger Talk on News Now, “and he’s going to give it every ounce of whatever he has. I want it to be in a safe manner—to protect him—but just having him out there helps the team in terms of leadership and direction.”
Moore also says there is no room of feeling sorry for yourself because of the injuries.
“We have to move on with where we are at,” Moore says. “We can’t make excuses about what hasn’t gone our way. We have young guys that we were going to utilize anyway in some capacity this year. Their role has grown now.”
Warsaw will be at Fort Wayne North Side Saturday, and then start conference play Dec. 16 at Wawasee.
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