Nappanee Advance-News, Volume 128, Number 48, Nappanee, Elkhart County, 1 December 2005 — Page 7

A change in plans for two players

By Anthony Godson Editor The North Wood Panthers improbable run through the postseason has caught many off-guard, including at least two football players. After finishing the regular season with a 3-6 record, senior Kyle Lehman and sophomore Kent Biller may have had other plans that didn't involve playing in a state championship football game on Nov. 26. Lehman may have thought he'd still be rehabbing from a torn ACL and Biller thought he'd be joining his Red Regiment friends in Hollywood, Calif, for the Hollywood Christmas Parade. As it turned out, both young men were still in Indiana, representing their school in the Indiana High

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’ DAT PHOTO Sophomore Kent Biller stayed to play football at the RCA Dome, rather than travel to Hollywood with the Red Regiment.

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School 3A State Championship game at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. KYLE LEHMAN "As seniors, we've always wanted to go to state," Lehman said about his and his classmates aspirations while growing up. "In middle school we lost one game, as freshmen we didn't lose and as sophomores we lost once. So we're a team not familiar with losing." After finishing the regular season at 3-6, the senior class did learn to live with losing. Since that time, the team flew through the postseason to earn a spot in the championship game. "It's wonderful, and it's just the way we wanted to finish it," Lehman said about his senior season. The championship game may

2005 3A Champions

have been the way he wanted to finish the season, but his senior campaign definitely didn't start the way he wanted it to. After going through the two-a-day practices over the summer, and all the work that goes into preparing for your senior season on the football team, Lehman had his season cut short in the first game of the year. In week one against the Jimtown Jimmies, North Wood found themselves down 7-3 following a touchdown by the Jimmies late in the second quarter. With 2:43 left in the first half, Jimtown kicked the ball to Lehman, who looked to make a big return. Instead, he tore his ACL on the run back. "I was running to my left, and planted on my right foot," he said about the injury which was supposed to end his season. "There was no one even around." No one had hit him on the play, but he knew something was wrong when he recalls his "knees were on fire." "I had never had a major injury before,- and an ACL injury never crossed my mind until (North Wood athletic trainer Paul) Widner mentioned it," Lehman said. In fact, he had torn his ACL, and that's when the rehabilitation began. Before surgery, Lehman first had to stay at home with his leg elevated to bring the swelling down. That in of itself was difficult for the athlete who also participates in baseball, and also ran the second leg of North Wood's 4xloo state-quali-fying track team last season. "For the first week, I had to lay in bed," he said. "That was really difficult." On Sept. 12, Lehman had his surgery at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, which kept him from attending North Wood’s homecoming game against Wawasee on Sept. 16. After his first check-up with

Dr. Donald Shelbourne at the Shelbourne Clinic a month later, Lehman received some good news. "When I went down for my first check-up, they said I was two months ahead of schedule," he said. "At that time, I knew there might be a chance I'd be ready (to play again)." After that visit, Lehman received clearance to begin lifting weights, which involved painful leg presses and extensions to .strengthen his knee which had been grafted. Following his two-month check-up, Lehman received clearance to begin playing again. On the car ride back from Indianapolis, he phoned North Wood head coach Rich Dodson with the news. ' "It was a great surprise," Lehman said about his clearance. "It was Tuesday, and I called coach with the news. He told me to practice on Wednesday, to see if there would be any soreness. He was looking out for my safety." After showing he could step back on the field, Dodson had confidence enough to put Lehman in for a few plays against Griffith in the semi-state game at Andrews Field on Oct. 18. "I was in for three plays," Lehman recalled. "(The doctors) said I wouldn't have my speed back for a year, but I really didn't notice." The relief of getting back on the field has brought a new found sense of excitement to Lehman. After witnessing his team go through North Wood's worst regular season since 1972, then to see it make a run to the state championship, he is now excited to be an even bigger part of it. "The players still make you feel like a part of the team," Lehman said about sitting on the sidelines. "But it's not only the players, it's also the fans and everybody else that kind of overlooks you." When speaking of being overlooked, the senior captain recalls being pushed out of the way by a television cameraman following NorthWood's.sectional championship win against South Bend St. Joseph's. Now, instead of standing on the sidelines with his letterman's jacket on, Lehman was wearing his familiar #2 jersey on Saturday afternoon at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. "It's tough to stand on the sidelines," Lehman said. "I want to get out there and' help the team."

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Advance News • Thursday, December 1, 2005

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DAT PHOTO Senior Kyle Lehman can’t catch up with a pass during his first game back at semi-state.

KENT BILLER When Lehman was rehabbing his knee, Biller was- in the North Wood backfield, providing relief when starting runningback Derren Lengacher needed one. "Biller is just a shiftier, quicker change of pace kind of runningback," Dodson said of the sophomore. "With his height, he's also able to kind of hide behind lineman. He's had some big runs this year, and with him being only a sophomore, he'll probably have even more." Among the big runs for Biller this season, was a 3-yard run he made on third-and-two in the second quarter of the semi-state game, which enabled senior kicker Ryan Burkhart to put North Wood on top of Griffith 17-10 at the half. Among his longer runs, Biller had a 66-yard touchdown run against Lakeland in the first round of sectionals against Lakeland. In his freshman year on the track team last year, Biller qualified for regionals in the 200, and was also a member, along with Lehman, on the 4xloo state-qualifying relay team. "I try to use my speed to get to the outside, then 1 just try to plow people over," Biller said about his running technique. Biller may have a nice running technique, but on Nov. 26; he was suppose to be showcasing his marching technique in Hollywood. For the past year, the Red Regiment Marching Band has been planning a trip to participate in the Hollywood Christmas Parqde. In all, 125 band members and chaperones

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went to Hollywood, but Biller opted instead to travel to Indianapolis. "(Going to Hollywood) was going to be exciting," the trumpet player said. "But this is a lot better." In order to even go to Hollywood, each band member had to raise SI,OOO. They accomplished this feat through fundraisers, and of course fami•y "I paid for the trip to Hollywood just in case (we didn't go to state)," Biller said. "So I lost (the money) to go with the team and try to win state." Biller commented that he may receive some of the money back, but the decision to travel to the RCA Dome instead of Hollywood was almost too easy. After finishing the regular season at 3-6, Biller could have almost had his trumpet packed for his trip to Hollywood, but then a funny thing happened — the football team wouldn't lose. After'winning sectionals and then regionals, the Biller family had to have a sitdown. "When we finally made it to semi-state, I sat with my parents to talk about what we'd do," Biller said. "They just told me, 'lf you win (semi-state), you're going to state.'." Biller did go to state, where he earned a shot to watch his mentors play another game. "It's been really fun to get into the state championship," he said. "I try so much, and have learned so much from Lengacher. I've also learned a lot about blocking from (junior) Kent Schaffer." Since playing on the freshmen team last season, Biller earned a spot on special teams, before being used more and more on the offensive side of the ball. Now, with each passing week, he's gaining more and more great memories. "The best thing was to play in the sectional championship, then regional and then semistate," he said with a smile. "And now, I get to play at state."

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