By Annie Wen
Staff Writer
Coppell lost more than its first football game on Sept. 29 at Denton Guyer. Senior quarterback Jake Larson tore his right anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscus, sidelining the signal caller for the remainder of the season.
“I was trying to get the fourth down and someone was holding down my leg,” Larson said. “I was hit from all sides and it was just a big pileup. I don’t remember much after going down.”
Larson’s knee will require surgery, scheduled for November 9th.
“I was coming off the field, and I saw everyone get on their knees,” junior wide receiver Jason Lister said. “I realized someone was hurt, and I asked who it was. Someone said ‘Larson.’ After that, everything sucked.”
The Coppell trainers and coaches helped Larson up, and he was taken off the field. Junior Tyler Zabojnik replaced him in the game. Since then, Larson has gone to the doctors and was recently informed of his condition.
“At the moment I’m just trying to walk on it,” Larson said. “I will have to have surgery.”
The ends of the three bones in the knee are covered with cartilage acting as a shock absorber. Between these bones are two crescent-shaped discs of connective tissue, called menisci. These menisci cushion the lower part of the leg from the weight of the rest of the body.
Meniscus tears can occur during a rotating movement while bearing weight, such as when twisting the upper leg while the foot stays in one place. In Larson’s case, a person was holding his leg down while he was trying to move. This most likely caused the tear.
Studies show that when the meniscus is torn, 50 percent of the time the ACL is torn as well. The ACL is what stabilizes the knee from rotating. It also prevents the thighbone from sliding backwards. Without a normal ACL, the knee becomes unstable and can buckle, especially when the leg is planted and attempts to turn or stop quickly, such as in football.
The MCL is one of the four ligaments that are critical to the stability of the knee joint. When the MCL is stretched too far, it is susceptible to tearing and injury. The action of “clipping” in football can cause the MCL to be torn.
Since the injury students have flooded Larson’s Facebook wall with well wishes. Despite the loss of Larson, fans are still supportive of the Cowboys.
“I believe the team will overcome this obstacle and persevere through the season,” sophomore Alex McCracken said. “I think we’ll continue to hold a great record and make it to playoffs.”
With Larson out for the rest of the season everyone is eagerly waiting to find out who his replacement will be. Larson says that no matter what happens, he has high expectations for the team.
“It’s still a football team,” Larson said. “A loss of me cannot be the loss of a team. I still have to lead. And I expect the as much out of the team as I did before the injury.”
Even though the odds seem to be against him, Larson hasn’t lost his faith in himself and his ability to play football.
“I have no idea how this is going to affect my college options,” Larson said. “As of right now, nothing has changed. I don’t really know anything right now except that I will continue to play football.”
