Senior point guard Travis McClendon drove to the hoop and jumped to take a shot. A hard foul then sent him to the ground. He fell hands first onto the court, causing a sharp pain in his wrist.

“My thumb hit and was basically crushed by my body weight,” McClendon said. “I got up, looked at Auston [Gonzalez] and told him ‘I really just messed up my hand’.”

McClendon did not say anything to his coach and continued to play throughout the 62-48 victory against Edgewood.

“At the time, it didn’t matter as much because my adrenaline was rushing so I kept going,” he said.

The doctor diagnosed a disconnected tendon and fracture in his hand. When McClendon went in for his second visit Thursday, the doctor cleared him to play. 

“I was relieved that I could finish my high school basketball career and try to help our team win a district championship,” McClendon said.

According to Coach Wardell Collins, McClendon’s absence would have had a large impact on the team.

“Travis is a captain so [losing him would be] losing a leader as well as a good scorer and defender,” Collins said. “He is somebody that all the boys look up to and that [would be] hard to fill this late in the season. Everybody needs to step up in order for us to win.”

By Madi Coalter