With a perfect record going into the seventh week of their season, it may seem to many that South’s varsity football team is unstoppable. But behind their 6-0 record is the team’s less obvious, yet growing list of injuries.
Varying from a damaged ACL to a broken forearm, South’s Athletic Trainer, Cam Mills, said the number of injuries the team has seen this year are an expected part of the game.
“There’s a lot of luck involved, but football has the highest injury rate out of any sport and that’s for a reason,” Mills said. “It is a violent, fast sport. So injuries do happen in football and it kind of comes to the territory of playing the game.”
A study by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons supports Mills’ statement, finding that among various high school sports, football had the highest number of injuries, with 3.96 per one thousand athletes. One of the players injured at South is captain and defensive tackle, AJ Zieleniewski ’26, who credits his team’s resilience as crucial in overcoming this adversity during their winning season.
“We’re all about the next guy up,” Zieleniewski said. “Next guy comes in, fills in the spot, does his job and we win games.”
The “next guy up” mentality has been necessary as injuries continue to affect players across the field. Head coach Chad Hepner says that despite the setbacks they have faced with a few of the team’s star players out, the team’s depth has been a key factor in finding success
“This is why we have 40 guys on the team and not 11,” Hepner said. “We have been able to insert some new guys in the lineup and sometimes it has even been guys that are typically offensive players having to step in and play defense.”
This adaptability has led the team to score over 30 points in four of their games so far this season as they lead the Macomb Area Conference. However, among the others injured on the team, Zieleniewski, afflicted by turf toe, is left to watch this success from the sidelines.
“It’s the worst…usually, you get your mind right with music and you are excited to play. You got the jersey on at school. And then you go to the game and you can’t do what you love and it just stinks,” Zieleniewski said. “But watching your team win is a lot of fun.”
