Nashoba Lacrosse Loses Leading Scorer to Broken Leg

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Joe Parello, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Nick French will miss his senior season with an injury.

Nashoba Regional Lacrosse is playing the toughest portion of its schedule this week, and will be doing so without its leading scorer.

Senior Nick French will miss the rest of the Chieftains season with multiple broken bones in his leg. French suffered the injury in Nashoba’s 8-7 victory over Shrewsbury on April 3rd, and the senior will miss his final high school season because of a play that occured far away from the ball.

"I was hit on a dirty play, for what I thought to be no reason, because the ball was 30 feet down the field," French said. "I snapped my fibula, fractured my tibia and tore the medial ligament in my right leg. On Wednesday I'll be getting a plate and some screws put in to stabilize my fibula and, after that, just wait for everything to heal, which should be in eight to 10 weeks.

Another Obstacle

This type of an injury would be tough to swallow for any high school athlete, but it is especially difficult for French because he was still in the process of coming back from knee surgery. The attacker tore the ACL in his left knee last summer, and was only recently ready to return to the field.

"(I) went through a pretty extensive rehab process of physical therapy two times a week for four months until I was released," French said. " I was determined to get back for the start of the season and resume my captainship for the second year."

In his first game back, French scored a goal in Nashoba’s season-opening loss to Oakmont Regional, but had to come out of the game due to a pulled hamstring and tenderness in his knee.

“It was good to see Nick get back on the board,” Coach Joel Bates said after the Oakmont game. “We’re working him back slowly. He’s a great player, and I think it’s more a mental thing than anything with the leg. He’s going to have to slowly get his confidence back.”

Playing Without French

The Chieftains rolled over North Middlesex 15-2 two days after French’s injury, but now face a brutal stretch this week that includes three of the better teams in Central Mass. That stretch began yesterday with a defeat at the hands of St. John’s School, and continues today against Westborough, then Thursday against reigning Central Mass champion Algonquin.

Though the Chieftains are sure to miss French’s scoring touch, Bates believes the team will be harder pressed to find a leader and teammate that can replace what French brought to Nashoba.

“I know he’s upset, and its tough to see for a kid who’s worked so hard,” Bates said. “And I’m upset too. Heck, the whole team is really beat up about it. It’s going to be hard to replace him the rest of the year.”

While the rest of the team has time to be upset, French will have to work hard to overcome his latest obstacle. But, like with his last injury, there is no doubt in his mind he can get through it.

"It definitely sucks, especially after all the hard work I had put in to return to the field. But I'm just taking it as a learning process," French said. "It's funny, I have the word 'resilience' tattooed on my side, so there was never a time where I doubted if I would be able to return to the field. After this process is over, I know I'll be able to bounce back. I'm just taking the experience with open arms and really embracing all the support I have gotten from friends, parents, coaches and teachers."