Injuries fail to derail Carroll’s football season

Bishop Carroll’s route to Saturday’s Class 5A title against Mill Valley (11-1) at Smith Stadium in Pittsburg has been riddled with injuries.

Schuckman’s mantra of “next man up” — when someone gets hurt, the next player steps in ready to play — started to get old as the Eagles’ top players were sidelined.

Any one of those injuries could have derailed Carroll’s season, but the Eagles (11-1) haven’t stumbled during an 11-game winning streak that includes a 31-point average margin.

Friday, Sept. 4

In the first half of Carroll’s 31-24 loss to visiting Northwest, senior Will Honas, a standout linebacker, suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear in his right knee.

Coach Alan Schuckman watched game video specifically to see what caused Honas’ injury. He didn’t find it.

“To this day, we didn’t think he did anything,” Schuckman said two weeks after the injury. “He maybe played one play in the second half. And then he couldn’t move. Several people checked him and said the ACL was tight. We felt like he had just strained it and sprained it, whatever.

“A freak deal.”

Honas was one of Carroll’s best players and had played a key role in 2014 when the Eagles won the 5A title with an unbeaten record. His absence left a hole on the line.

But sophomore Riggs Robben, whose dad, Roger is an assistant coach, stepped in midway through the game.

“That was a tough thing for him,” Schuckman said Oct. 15. “… It was a situation that he probably wasn’t ready for. It didn’t matter. He had to be ready. He’s definitely gotten better each week because we’ve been able to prep him and prepare him.”

The nerves affected Robben until he got on the field. Ever since, Honas has been a sort of personal coach.

“I learned a lot from him,” Robben said. “He’d been teaching me a lot —in the summer and he’s been helping me ever since he was hurt. He helps me keep my focus in the game. If I’m not playing that well, he keeps me up.”

Also stepping up has been Drew Thome, who was a receiver as a sophomore and didn’t play as a junior. He leads Carroll with 70 tackles and 21 for loss — even though he missed two games due to injury.

“As we watched him through camps, we thought he’d be a solid player,” Schuckman said. “We never imagined he’d be the player that he has been. He’s played like he’s been a three-year starter.”

Luke Evans and Robben were in Honas’ spot until another injury led to Evans starting. Ethan Green, a junior varsity player last season, also stepped in.

Friday, Oct. 2

Carroll was on its way to winning its fourth straight game by 37 or more points when defensive lineman Chris Dugan was injured. A 2014 All-Metro selection, he had 25 tackles, five for loss and two sacks in the season’s first five games.

He tore the ACL in his right knee in a win over North.

Geoff Tholstrop moved from defensive tackle to end to fill the void.

“He really has played well, and he’s waited,” Schuckman said of Tholstrop. “He’s been patient. He played scout team for two years and boom! Now he’s making plays.”

“Martin Esquivel, he’s definitely stepped up,” junior Cannon Lynch said. “He’s been one of the main people on defense after Chris got hurt. He’s made himself shine.… He just fights to tackle. He’ll do anything he can to make a tackle.”

Schuckman added: “Robert Garcia and Martin Esquivel, they were starting (junior varsity) at the beginning of the season, and now they’re major contributors at the defensive line.”

Friday, Oct. 23

Running back Adam Theis suffered an ankle injury midway through a 42-14 win over Maize South on Oct. 23. Theis missed the season finale, but returned for the playoffs.

The Eagles are deep — Gage Gottschalk had 110 rushing yards in place of Theis in an Oct. 30 win — but how much more could they take?

“We’re as thin as we’ve ever been,” Schuckman said in early November. “These kids have fought and really persevered.”

Tuesday, Nov. 3

As the top seed in the west, Carroll readied to play host to Salina South in the first round of the 5A playoffs. The Eagles were on an eight-game winning streak.

“I’m very pleased with how they responded to the injuries,” Schuckman said on Nov. 3. “We always say ‘next man up,’ but there comes a point where you’re running out of men.”

During that week of practice, Schuckman asked his starters how many had started in the 2014 season finale. One raised his hand. Asked how many starters were on the 2014 scout team, seven raised their hands.

Schuckman asked his offensive starters the same questions — two started in the 2014 regular-season finale, nine played scout team.

But by playing in the 2014 title game, Carroll had four extra weeks of practice.

“I guess these kids have learned this is what has built our program, these practices,” Schuckman said on Nov. 3. “They take pride in it, and they get better.”

Friday, Nov. 6

During the second quarter against Salina South, quarterback Jake Allen was knocked out of the game. He suffered a concussion and also missed the Nov. 13 quarterfinal at Heights.

Lynch came off the bench and had touchdown runs of 51 and 68 yards to spark the win.

“When the opportunity came, I just kept telling myself, ‘You’ve gotta be ready for this,’ ” Lynch said after the game. “That’s our team motto, ‘Next man up,’ and tonight it showed. I’ve worked hard on making myself a better player, making myself faster this season.”

Friday, Nov. 13

On Carroll’s second play of its quarterfinal game, Lynch was knocked out of the game.

“I was running, I kind of broke out of a tackle, one foot was in front of the other,” Lynch said Monday. “It was planted and this guy came flying across, hit me in the leg. Right when it happened, it went numb.”

Lynch broke his tibia and fibula in his right leg. He had surgery Nov. 14, getting a rod and three screws in his leg.

Allen wasn’t in uniform because he was still out with a concussion, which meant Carroll turned to its third-string quarterback, sophomore Braden Howell, who didn’t have any snaps in practice the week before. He had also just been cleared from a wrist injury that kept out for two weeks.

“He’s a good athlete. He did a great job coming in after me. That’s just skill,” Lynch said.

“I saw Cannon go down, I went over and coach told me to get some snaps,” Howell said after Carroll beat Heights 44-14. “I knew I was the next guy up after Jake got hurt last week. I knew that if something happened, I’d be the one out there calling the game.”

Howell had touchdown runs of 28 and 54 yards, while Theis had 167 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries.

Friday, Nov. 20

Allen returned at quarterback, but it was Theis’ three rushing touchdowns and a passing touchdown that sparked Carroll’s 34-7 win over Eisenhower.

Monday

The Eagles have faced such adversity, yet they didn’t shut down. Really, they never missed a step during this 11-game win streak that includes three playoff wins by a combined 74 points.

“This is going to build character for their lives,”Schuckman said. “When you think things are bad or you’re down, it always could be worse. Figure out, ‘How am I going to fight out of it?’

“We talked (Monday) at our meetings that it’s been a fun year for us. It’s been fun to watch kids develop and step into roles a little sooner than expected and really produced. I thinks that’s rewarding for us as coaches to see those kids do that.”

This story was originally published November 24, 2015 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Injuries fail to derail Carroll’s football season."