When South Christian senior quarterback Ty Rynbrandt broke his collarbone in the first round of the playoffs back on October 30th, he thought his high school football career was over.
"Honestly with the timing of the injury," Rynbrandt said. "I didn't think I would ever be able to play again."
But he didn't sulk. In fact, Rynbrandt did just the opposite.
"It's not like he ever sat back and said 'poor me,'" South Christian head coach Danny Brown said. "He was at the very next practice after he got hurt and coaching up Jake (Dehaan)."
"During the injury I would say my role was basically like a coach," Rynbrandt said. "Coach Brown, right when the injury happened, he told me he wants me to help Jake out, basically be a quarterback coach."
"If I was in his situation I don't know if I would have been as great as he's been," senior running back Trevor Hansen said. "He's been out there coaching Jake, helping him know everything that is going on to make sure he is in the best possible situation, he's just been awesome."
In Rynbrandt's stead, sophomore Jake DeHaan filled in beautifully helping the Sailors to a pair of wins which included throwing seven touchdown passes in the district final.
Now that the season has been on pause for seven weeks, Rynbrandt has been upgraded from out to questionable for the division four regional final at Edwardsburg on January 9th.
"When I first found out that we were going to get paused I felt really bad for my teammates," Rynbrandt said. "But in the back of my mind I knew this might give me another chance to play."
Rynbrandt was playing at a high level prior to his injury, and while the team will have confidence in whoever is under center next Saturday, this could be a chance for the senior to finish what he and his Sailor teammates started.
"I think you are experiencing the fact that he grew up with these kids," Brown said. "A lot of these guys are seniors so there is probably a confidence level that Ty is there with us and he is a part of it."
"He's a great guy, he's a great leader, he means a lot to our football team," Hansen added. "It would mean the world for him to go back out there and play."
He still needs to get cleared for contact, hope is that will come early next week. Then it comes down to how he feels heading into next Saturday.
"I'm super excited," Rynbrandt said. "I don't know what the doctor will say but I am just happy there is a chance."
It might even come down to a game time decision for Rynbrandt and the Sailors when they travel to play the Eddies for a 7 p.m. start as the playoffs resume.
