|
|
 |
Sunday
March 21, 2010 Since 1922 |
Savoie helps lead Pats from the sidelines
By Nathan Hague
The Baytown Sun Published November 12, 2009 When the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots take the field Friday night for the school’s first football playoff game, they will be in enemy territory, having to play Beaumont Central on its homefield at Zaharias Stadium.
But they’ll have an old friend with them on the sidelines – senior linebacker Jason Savoie.
Savoie is one of the Patriots’ team leaders but he’s been forced to be an off-the-field leader most of the season.
It was Sept. 11, and the Patriots were on the road playing the Episcopal Knights in the third week of football season.
Savoie went in for the blitz for the first time all game but had trouble getting up.
“I remember everything about that play,” Savoie said. “The other linebacker opposite me was blitzing the whole game. Then he switched with me and I blitzed on that one play. I went in and the guards dropped back and dove at me.”
The injury sidelined Savoie for the remainder of the season.
“I knew right away when he hit me that something was wrong,” Savoie said.
Patriots head coach Bret Boyd knew it was serious but didn’t know how serious it was.
“The doctors and trainers on the sidelines said something loosened in his knee and would need to be evaluated later,” Boyd said. “They indicated there was a chance of a tear or sprain and the MRI later showed it was a torn ligament.”
Fast forward to a week later. The Patriots are about to take the field to host North Forest without their starting linebacker.
Just hours earlier that same day, Savoie went in for surgery. But refused to miss the game.
“I made sure I’d make it (to the game),” Savoie said. “I asked them how long the surgery would take and they said about two hours. So I went in and had the surgery in the morning.”
Boyd said he didn’t know what to expect after being told Savoie was going to try to make it.
“He told me the day before his surgery that if it was over early, he would be at the game, and I was thinking ‘OK, we’ll see.’ I don’t know how much he remembers from that game.”
Savoie recalls his Patriots beating the Bulldogs handily.
“I remember they (Memorial) were beating them pretty bad,” he said. “I got there in the second quarter and they were giving them a pretty good whooping.”
When his teammates spotted Savoie sitting in a wheelchair, they gathered around him in excitement and gave him his No. 48 jersey to wear in the second half.
“It felt good to see my teammates and to see that they really care,” he said. “Every day they ask how I’m doing and how rehab is going. There’s no one on this team that doesn’t like anybody.”
Boyd said Savoie was really coming around as a leader before his injury and remains a leader still today. Even though he’s not putting on the pads, he’s still active.
“I don’t just sit on the sidelines doing nothing,” he said. “I tell them what I think they need to do. I watch game film with them. I work out with them and I go to practice with them.”
His input has been a key part of the puzzle that the Patriots put together in going 7-3 to finish third in District 19-4A, a huge improvement over their 1-8 beginnings when the school opened and fielded its first team in 2008.
Savoie also plays right field for the Memorial baseball team and expects to be healthy in time for the start of the baseball season.
“The way therapy is going, they told me I should be fine by then,” he said. “A kid from Hardin had (surgery for) the exact same injury before me. I’m ahead of him (in rehabbing), so I think I’ll be ready.”
The Baytown Sun Published November 12, 2009 When the Goose Creek Memorial Patriots take the field Friday night for the school’s first football playoff game, they will be in enemy territory, having to play Beaumont Central on its homefield at Zaharias Stadium.
But they’ll have an old friend with them on the sidelines – senior linebacker Jason Savoie.
Savoie is one of the Patriots’ team leaders but he’s been forced to be an off-the-field leader most of the season.
It was Sept. 11, and the Patriots were on the road playing the Episcopal Knights in the third week of football season.
Savoie went in for the blitz for the first time all game but had trouble getting up.
“I remember everything about that play,” Savoie said. “The other linebacker opposite me was blitzing the whole game. Then he switched with me and I blitzed on that one play. I went in and the guards dropped back and dove at me.”
The injury sidelined Savoie for the remainder of the season.
“I knew right away when he hit me that something was wrong,” Savoie said.
Patriots head coach Bret Boyd knew it was serious but didn’t know how serious it was.
“The doctors and trainers on the sidelines said something loosened in his knee and would need to be evaluated later,” Boyd said. “They indicated there was a chance of a tear or sprain and the MRI later showed it was a torn ligament.”
Fast forward to a week later. The Patriots are about to take the field to host North Forest without their starting linebacker.
Just hours earlier that same day, Savoie went in for surgery. But refused to miss the game.
“I made sure I’d make it (to the game),” Savoie said. “I asked them how long the surgery would take and they said about two hours. So I went in and had the surgery in the morning.”
Boyd said he didn’t know what to expect after being told Savoie was going to try to make it.
“He told me the day before his surgery that if it was over early, he would be at the game, and I was thinking ‘OK, we’ll see.’ I don’t know how much he remembers from that game.”
Savoie recalls his Patriots beating the Bulldogs handily.
“I remember they (Memorial) were beating them pretty bad,” he said. “I got there in the second quarter and they were giving them a pretty good whooping.”
When his teammates spotted Savoie sitting in a wheelchair, they gathered around him in excitement and gave him his No. 48 jersey to wear in the second half.
“It felt good to see my teammates and to see that they really care,” he said. “Every day they ask how I’m doing and how rehab is going. There’s no one on this team that doesn’t like anybody.”
Boyd said Savoie was really coming around as a leader before his injury and remains a leader still today. Even though he’s not putting on the pads, he’s still active.
“I don’t just sit on the sidelines doing nothing,” he said. “I tell them what I think they need to do. I watch game film with them. I work out with them and I go to practice with them.”
His input has been a key part of the puzzle that the Patriots put together in going 7-3 to finish third in District 19-4A, a huge improvement over their 1-8 beginnings when the school opened and fielded its first team in 2008.
Savoie also plays right field for the Memorial baseball team and expects to be healthy in time for the start of the baseball season.
“The way therapy is going, they told me I should be fine by then,” he said. “A kid from Hardin had (surgery for) the exact same injury before me. I’m ahead of him (in rehabbing), so I think I’ll be ready.”