High school football: Returning to the game he loves brought Corner Canyon LB Luke Cahoon out of a ‘huge, dark hole’

James Edward

Concussions forced the senior to quit playing football two games into his junior season, but he returned a few weeks ago — against the advice of doctors — because he wanted to play with his brother and be a part of an undefeated team that will play for the 6A state championship on Friday

DRAPER — When the Corner Canyon Chargers charge onto the field at Rice-Eccles Stadium on Friday to play in the 6A football state championship game, no player decked out in navy, silver and white will be more thrilled, and thankful, to be there than linebacker Luke Cahoon.

“It’s like they say, ‘you don’t know how much you love something until it is gone,’” Cahoon said Tuesday as top-seeded and undefeated Corner Canyon (13-0) prepared for a rematch with No. 7 seed American Fork (10-4), having dumped the Cavemen 59-28 on Oct. 16.

Cahoon didn’t play in that game at American Fork; He rejoined the team a few weeks ago after more than a year away from football.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound senior sustained a concussion, his second in a six-week span, in the Chargers’ second game last season, and doctors told him to stop playing football.

“Stop forever,” Cahoon said. “That was tough to hear.”

So the promising defender and kick returner listened to the doctor’s advice, hung up his helmet and jersey, and focused on other, less physical sports, such as baseball.

“That just made me really, really sad, and got me in a huge, dark hole, and I wasn’t myself for a long time,” Cahoon said. “I was depressed. I stayed away from my family and friends. I withdrew from people. … I missed that brotherhood, I missed the chance to play with my brother.”

That brother, starting safety Ryan Cahoon, is a junior and 11 months younger than Luke. He said Luke’s concussion and subsequent symptoms ripped apart their relationship.

“Once he got his concussion, we weren’t really close, didn’t talk about anything,” Ryan said.

But a few months ago, “a light came on,” according to their older brother, Tyler, and Luke decided to throw caution to the wind and return to football with the permission of his parents, Jodie and Brad, a former Brighton High and BYU linebacker.

“When he came back, we got closer again, and playing on the same side of the field is really cool, because two brothers starting on the same defense, at the 6A level, is pretty neat,” Ryan said.

Luke made his second start of the season last week in Corner Canyon’s 34-7 semifinal win over Lone Peak and made nine tackles.

Cole Hagen, CC’s terrific senior quarterback, said he has played football, basketball and baseball with Luke since they were 8 years old and couldn’t wait to see his lifelong pal get back on the football field.

“Just for me personally, it is nice having him back because he is one of my good friends and I like being around him,” Hagen said. “And he’s a really good player, too.”

Coach Eric Kjar said Luke started hanging around the football team again last summer, mainly to monitor Ryan’s progress (and because Ryan had taken over his old number 4). The coaching staff had some discussions with Luke’s mother and let it be known that he would be welcomed back any time.

Luke said all the symptoms of his concussions are long gone.

“Now I am back, trying to work my hardest,” he said. “Make up for lost time.”

Kjar said Luke just did some special teams stuff at first, but his ability to make tackles and play aggressively was too good to ignore and soon he was back in the starting lineup.

“He’s just such a physical presence,” Kjar said. “He started his whole sophomore year for us, and started two games as a junior before he had some of those concussion issues. … Football brought him back to his old self. It seems like he is a really happy kid now, and a good leader, and he is practicing hard, so it is fun to have him back.”

Why did he return against his doctor’s wishes?

“My dad always wanted me and Ryan to play on the same field together, and play on defense together,” Luke said. “It has been really fun, playing with him. Football has strengthened our bond. And the coaches, they are great examples. It is just a great atmosphere all the way around.”

Luke said he is “not worried at all” about his history with concussions, but acknowledges he plays smarter knowing he needs to avoid getting another one. He said his parents are “a little scared,” but “they just want me to be happy. They want what is best for me, and I am happy when I am playing football.”

And out of that dark hole he was in before.

from Deseret News https://ift.tt/2O4fmnw