It was exactly midway through the high school career of Myles Curry. Two seasons down – one on freshman and one on JV at Casteel HS – and two to go with these two being on the varsity. Friday Night Lights. The bands, the fans, and a chance to go against the best of the best in the 6A Conference and the Premier Region.
After playing on the offensive line in his first two years, Curry was making the transition to middle linebacker for his junior season with the Colts. He started on JV as a sophomore and got some minutes on varsity. Curry went through the few weeks of spring ball in the Valley in May with the returning players. Up next was the month of 7-on-7 competitions. It’s football without the tackling. A chance to work on pursuit and pass coverage.
The date was June 18 of 2023. Teams love making the trip up to Flagstaff for the High Altitude Challenge. It’s big enough that Northern Arizona University offers two weekends of it to accommodate more schools. Of course, the weather is much nicer than tournaments that take place in Scottsdale, Peoria, or anywhere else in the Valley. The long bus ride up and back down the hill offers a chance to bond with teammates as well.
It was on a grass field with the tall pine trees serving as the backdrop that Curry suffered a devastating knee injury.
An ambulance was called and Curry was taken to a local hospital. There were tears to the ACL, PCL, and the LCL. The ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) is a ligament that connects the thigh to the shin. The PCL (posterior cruciate ligament) is a ligament that runs along the back of the knee connecting the thigh to the top of the lower leg. The LCL (lateral cruciate ligament) is on the outer side of the knee and runs from the top of the fibula (lower leg bone) to the outside of the lower thigh. Tears to all three don’t just make for a long recovery, they can become immediately dangerous.
“The injury also severed an artery crucial for leg blood flow,” Curry said in an e-mail interview. “My doctor said if we got to the hospital a couple hours later, I could have lost my left leg.”
The rehabilitation process consisted of a wide range of workouts.
“Initially, I would start with little movements since my leg was locked out straight,” Curry said. “As I progressed, my range of motion got better. Eventually, I got to a point where I could do full workouts doing things such as jogging on the treadmill, leg press, and balance/stabilization training.”
Curry’s entire junior season was lost. He was determined to get back to a point where he’d be able to run out on the field with his teammates as a senior. High school football isn’t the pros. You only get four years and there’s no medical redshirt like there is in college.
“What really motivated me the most was not being able to play with the group of guys I spent countless hours with in and out of school,” Curry said. “I already missed one year of playing with some people I might not see again and I didn’t want to see that happen twice.”
And so it happened. On September 20, 2024 – 460 days after the injury in Flagstaff – Curry not only suited up and took the field with his teammates for the Colts’ home game against Mountain Ridge, he got on the stat sheet with a tackle.
“It felt like I overcame this huge obstacle that’s been hindering me for years,” Curry said. “When I made that tackle, I realized I can achieve anything I want in life by staying humble, determined, and disciplined.”
Life lessons through the vehicle of high school football. Curry (5-10, 230) has seen his position change again. He’s a defensive tackle now. The versatility in his game helps out with learning new positions on the field. His sophomore year (pre-injury), he played JV volleyball in the spring.
One thing that didn’t suffer during his junior year were his grades. Curry continues to be a stellar student with a 4.20 GPA. He’s looking at staying in the West and is considering Washington and UC Irvine among other colleges.
Each week, players suffer injuries in this exciting, but also violent game of football. Having gone through the recovery process, Curry offered his advice to those missing time and wanting to get back.
“The most important thing is to stay positive because no amount of training and recovery you can do in this world will ever work if you don’t believe that it will,” Curry said. “Also, remember there is always someone out there doing worse, so be grateful that God, your loved ones, and everyone in your life has put you in a position to be where you are today.”
Casteel had its bye this week. The Colts (3-2) begin region play this Friday at Perry (4-1) with Chandler, Hamilton, and Basha in succession. Curry is glad he isn’t missing this next month playing alongside his “brothers” and friends that he’s grown up with.
“I would like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for allowing me to have another chance to play football again with my peers,” Curry said. “And to my family for being a wonderful support team.”
Reach Chris Eaton at gridironarizona@yahoo.com or DM at @gridironarizona with story ideas.
