The ODA football team has been plagued with injuries this year. Five players have been injured thus far this season, two of the injuries were “season ending,” meaning those students won’t have the chance to play again this year.

Drew Fineberg was injured in ODA’s spring game with a second blow to an old knee injury. Kevin Grathwohl came out in the first game of the season with a torn ACL. Austin Hoppe and Trenton Radigan also left with knee injuries.

Drew said, “it’s a bummer that I’m out for the season but that’s part of the sport, sometimes injuries happen.”

Kevin Grathwohl said, “I was really disappointed when I heard the news but some things you can’t control, and injuries are one of those things.”

Some other students will need to spend some time on the bench healing before they play again. Max Provost started the season with a rib injury, but won’t be out for long. David Grain had a fractured ankle but will be back to the playing field in two weeks.

Coach Temmons, head football coach, said “Injuries are a natural occurance, when you play football injuries are going to happen. On the other hand though injury prevention can happen. Too many players are just sitting on the couch and going to the beach all summer and not worrying about working out. As a team we have to get in the weight room more often. Just like a Ferrari. You can’t go out and go full speed without warming up a little bit.

“Also as coaches,” Timmons continued, “we have to do a better job with training and making sure our guys are ready to go. I look at this not as a threat but as a learning curve to better prepare ourselves for the future.”

On the bright side, the football team is young and has the fire they need to win some games. In the up coming years, ODA will have quality players coming up thru the program. Thunder will continue to progress each year in hopes to win a district championship, a goal that helps even the youngest players focused on the learning of this season.

Good luck, Thunder. Get better soon.