By David Gobel

For Nick Firestone ’11, the most defining moment of his football season so far has not come on the gridiron. It has not come in practice or in a football game, but in a basketball playoff game last season, where he tore his ACL.

“[The injury] was during the basketball playoffs last

year, I drove left then came down and just felt my knee pop,” said Firestone.

Football isn’t the only team this year that has been affected by injuries; both field hockey and boys’ cross-country have also lost key players. Adrianna Crovo ’11 is on the sidelines in field hockey after tearing her hip cartilage. Crovo is a talented goalie who blanked opposing teams nine times last season in the team 15 games. Boys’ cross country has lost talented runner David Abergel ’11, who won the Mt. SAC invitational race last year, one of the most important races of the season, to mononucleosis.

Firestone’s injury, in terms of time not being able to play, has been very serious. The ACL, one of the four ligaments in the knee, can be a huge problem for athletes if severely torn.

In the case of Firestone, doctors have estimated about a six to nine month recovery time from the initial injury in March. Firestone is optimistic about the injury and hopes that he will be able to play in about a month.

“I definitely hope to finish the season playing with the team. I went to the doctor [recently] and he told me that maybe in about a month I would be able to play,” Firestone said.

Although he is not able to play on the field, Firestone still tries to help the team out.

“I’m trying to help the younger guys out on what to do. I’m trying to give them pointers. Since I’m a senior, I’m trying to give them what I’ve learned throughout my career,” Firestone said.

However, the football team is hurt by the loss of Firestone, as he not only provides experience on the defensive side, but he is also one of the more talented players on the team and was very effective in special teams. Cameron Komisar ’12 is currently the only starting varsity defensive back after the loss of Firestone, and has also replaced Firestone on special teams. Komisar said that he will be very happy when Firestone returns, but is now trying to be a bigger presence on defense now that Firestone is gone.

“Without Firestone we have inexperienced defensive backs, Cameron [Komisar] is the only cornerback that played there in 2009. Firestone is a human highlight reel; we cannot replace him, [and] we will be a better team when he returns,” football coach Vic Eumont said.

“I have just tried to become more of a leader on the defense,” Komisar said. “He was a general on the field during the games so I have tried to step up to that role.”

Crovo’s injury, because of the timing, will cause her to miss the whole field hockey season. The cause of her injury a genetic overgrowth in her pelvis and left femur, which caused her to tear the cartilage, or labrum, in her hip.

“Basically by the time I was 50 it probably would’ve torn, but due to the amount of field hockey I had played in the last couple years it unfortunately tore now,” Crovo said. “[However], the tear was such that I can keep playing lots of field hockey at high levels with no risk of re-injuring it.”

This injury has not stopped Crovo from being a vocal leader on the team. She still goes to all the games and as many practices as she can. Crovo even went to St. Louis with the team for a tournament, assisting anyway she could.

“I love [field hockey] so much that I really want to help share my passion and knowledge of the game with those around me,” Crovo said. “This sport has done so much for me in that I’ve had a lot of success due to hard work. I’ve been blessed with incredible opportunities and coaches throughout my career; I want so badly for my team to get the same gratitude from the sport that I do.”

The field hockey team is still trying to keep a positive attitude even with the injuries that have plagued the team.

“I think we will still have a fantastic season,” said varsity field hockey coach Erin Creznic said. “Injuries are part of any sport and fortunately, we have a versatile team that can step in for each other when one of our starters is injured.”

However, the team has had to make adjustments this season with Crovo’s loss.

“We have had to occasionally take some of our stronger mids and put them back on defense,” Creznic said.

The boys’ cross-country team has not had its best runner, David Abergel, since the beginning of the season. Abergel however happens to be suffering from a completely different problem than Crovo or Firestone.

“I’ve had mono for five weeks, and I recently talked to the doctor and he said I’ll feel the effects for two months, but I’ll be back to running in a few days,” said Abergel. “[However], I won’t be back to where I was before until about the end of this season.”

 

–Additional reporting by Noelle Lyons