The Ups and Downs of a High School Football Star
By Harold J. Solomon IV
“In many situations, football is the last chance for a lot of kids to get out of the struggle and make it somewhere. For me, it’s my way to college and without it, I’m not sure.”
William “Liam” Ball hadn’t played a snap of high school football while he was a student of Bridgeville (Pa.) Chartiers Valley High School just a little over a year ago. He believed basketball would eventually land him a scholarship given his 6'5 frame and muscular build. Those aspirations were slowed down by back-to-back ankle injuries in his freshmen and sophomore year. Despite missing valuable playing time and building up tape for universities, Liam took his time away from the game to make a crucial decision going into his senior year as he arrived at Cypress Lake High School.
“I still loved to play, but it didn’t feel the same. I was just playing, I wasn’t really having fun anymore. If I’m not having fun then what’s the point of it.”
His arrival at Cypress Lake garnered much attention from the student body and the coaches of both basketball and football. Liam’s initial intention was to get back to basketball, that is until he met head football coach Richard Rode.
“When you have a kid that size and know he played on elite teams of any sport, you have to just take a chance and ask them if they’ve ever thought about playing football.” said coach Rode.
Liam admitted he had dabbled a little in the sport throughout his middle school years to coach Rode’s delight. With that little confession, Rode knew he had to take that raw untapped talent and unleash it on the rest of Lee County.
“I told him to give this some thought ‘You play football, and you’re going to get looked at by everybody and you’re going to play at the next level,” said Rode. “I normally won’t tell a kid that because they won’t put in the effort and expect schools at their front door, but with Liam, he had something to prove to me.”
With that, Liam committed the remainder of his high school career to the gridiron with the promise to coach Rode that he would attend offseason workouts and stay away from basketball. He would play defensive end and sometimes be called upon by the offense to play tight-end.
“I wanted his full commitment to the team and to getting better on the football field,” said Rode. “I didn’t want him getting hurt playing basketball again and risking his chances of playing.”
Workouts weren’t much of an issue for Liam given he came in already benching 300 lbs, squatting 405 lbs, and power cleaning 290 lbs. His speed and conditioning translated from basketball as well, but his athleticism wasn’t what was at question. It was the first practice of spring that Liam knew he might right decision.
“Ever since I put the pads on I fell in love with the game,” Ball said. “I should have never stopped playing.”
Liam looked like he’d been playing since pop-warner, a true natural on the football field.
“He is extremely athletic for his size, and his basketball background allowed him to move so fluidly,” said Rode. “He was also very aggressive from the get-go, which isn’t always the case when you are just beginning in football.”
Liam would continue to show out on the practice field leading up into their spring game against Ida Baker High School. He again showed off not only his ability but versatility playing both on offense and defense throughout the game.
Liam would go onto finish the game with 8 tackles, 2 sacks on defense and 3 catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. An epic showing off of his prowess had the Cypress Lake community thinking that the ‘hype’ could be real after all.
“I played with elite basketball teams back home and had been a part of big wins, but the feeling of that game was unlike anything I had ever experienced,” said Ball. “It really felt like I was in a movie or something, being out there under the lights is a whole different feeling.”
Coming off an impressive performance not only did Liam have all the confidence in the world, so did the rest of the team.
“We felt we had a lot of talent on our roster already, but him coming added that extra element of physicality we needed,” said coach Rode. “He showed it out there that night, he could hurt you with his quickness and his strength”
Liam’s performance was gifted by a ‘look’ from Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) powerhouse North Dakota State.
A month away from the regular season, Liam and the Cypress Lake Panthers are out in the summer heat preparing for their preseason matchup against the Riverdale Raiders.
“We were just having a regular practice; running agility cones, pushing sleds, mostly non-contact stuff,” said Ball “Were running an agility drill and I turned a corner a bit quick and it didn’t feel right to me, I didn’t think it was much of anything until when I got home and couldn’t make it up the stairs.”
A seemingly minor injury had haggled Liam for the next few days, keeping him sidelined on the practice field. He took a visit to his now former medical professional to take a look at his knee, have an x-ray done. He was informed it was nothing serious and could return to practice.
“I honestly didn’t think it was anything serious, so I took his word for it and kept at it,” said Ball. “I had already missed like a full week of actual practice and needed to keep up especially with the game at the end of the month.”
The following week, that knee began to irritate again. A follow up medical visit was made with a different professional and a surprise diagnosis caught Liam off-guard.
“He told me it was a Grade II ACL sprain and that I should avoid playing for 2 months and start rehabbing immediately,” said Ball. “I was basically out for the season and it really felt like the wind had been knocked out of me.”
Liam later informed Coach Rode.
“It definitely hurt when he told us,” said Rode. “We had an entirely different expectation with him on this team that it really felt like all the air had been let out the bag.”
Liam was sidelined for a whole month and had to watch as his Cypress Lake Panthers go through 3–1 without him. Falling to their longtime rival in ultimate losing fashion (48–27), the Fort Myers Green Wave.
“I know it’s my first year but, I didn’t like them” said Ball “None of us liked that team. I wanted to finally help tack on a win against them but obviously there was nothing I could do. I wanted to play and I didn’t care what happened.”
That’s exactly what he did.
After their first loss of the season, Liam approach coach Rode about playing. Assuring him that he could give it a go and wanted to play against the Immokalee Indians that upcoming week.
“I heard him out, I told him to think hard because he could aggravate the injury and or even worsen it if he plays,” said Rode. “He wanted to play football more than anybody in our roster, and nothing was going to stop him.”
Liam played against the Immokalee Indians well, 4 tackles and 1 pass deflection, up until the third quarter when he re-aggravated his knee.
“I don’t even know what I did or what happened but I got a sharp pain and I had to lay down on the field for our staff to carry me off.” Ball explained. “As much as it sucked to be able to finish the game, I know now within me that I gave everything I could.”
Liam would be sidelined for the remainder of the season. The Cypress Lake Panthers football team, led by coach Richie Rode would go onto a 5–5 record. Rode’s first winning season during his now 3-year tenure at the school. Now a week removed from the end of the football season, Liam received surgery on his injured knee. Thankfully, all was successful.
Despite not playing in a full game during the entire season, his lone recruiter North Dakota State, continue to show interest in the senior and keep in contact with him. As of right now, he still has a shot at playing at one of the best football programs in the country.
“They believe in me and it’s assuring to me because that means they want me,” said Ball “I don’t know if I’ll go there. I don’t know if I’ll get a scholarship there, but I remain hopeful.”
Liam continues to rehab his knee every day after school. He hopes to be without crutches and at 100% by the time he graduates.
“If he doesn't end up signing with North Dakota, he’ll be fine. That’s one of the best schools in the nation, he’ll get a look from another school if otherwise” said Rode. “That athleticism will be noticed and it wont go to waste. He’s got the heart and the will to play, any school will take that.”
