Bloomington High School South, The Gothic, 2009, Page 34

Description:	Dedication. Determination. Diligence.Senior Josh Combs was known as a leader on the football field.Early in the football season his dedication was tested when hewas forced to overcome an injury to play the game he loved.When you walked down the halls onFriday, September 26, 2008 you couldfeel the passion and intensity of the upcoming Bloomington South homecoming game that would take place thatnight. You could see the anxious lookon all the faces of the young men whowore their football jerseys that day. Senior Joshua Combs kept a braveface and used his contagious attitude tokeep his teammates confident.Even with the intimidating matchup of state-ranked number five Lawrence Central High School, Combsstayed hopeful. Just three weeks earlier,Combs was benched for an injury tohis right acromioclavicular joint (AC),the joint that connects the collarboneand shoulder blade.Even with such an injury, Combssaid it was part of a seniors responsibility to show leadership and pick theteam up after a loss, and he took thatto heart. Combs raced up and downthe field at the sideline, hitting, yelling,chest bumping and cheering his teammates on. Fellow senior football playerRyan Beall said, Josh Combs]brings a lot of excitement and intensity to the field. Beall tore his ACL theprevious year, but fortunately made afull recovery, and demonstrated compassion for his injured teammate andfriendIt was difficult for both the team and (Josh Combs) brings alot of excitement andintensity to the field.—senior Ryan Beallthis player to deal with being off thefield. Ive talked to him about it andhes upset that he cant be on the fieldwith us but hes working on stayingpositive, said Beall.Im a vocal leader so its hard for theteam not to have that, said Combs.Combs had been playing football forseven years. With a sly smirk he said hisfavorite part of the game was hitting—bottom line. As a middle linebacker,it was Combs responsibility to be thelead tackier, which could be hard withhis injury. I went into the [Bloomington] North game and I knew I couldntbe aggressive, and I couldnt play like Ihad. I have to be smart and conscious.With every hit, he moved his body in away to protect his right side. If he wasever in pain, he bottled it in, focusingall his energy into the game.Combs intensity as well as that ofhis team was shown on the scoreboard.South won its first homecoming gamein three years, and beat LawrenceCentral High School 36 to 21. The entire game, when he wasnt on the field,Combs was cheering his team on tothe victory they dearly desired. It feltgood to put my pads back on. —EMILYHOAGLANDFar Right: Senior Ryan Beall andJosh Combs stay focused togetheron the sideline during a Fridavnight game. Beall and Combscould frequently be found togetheron the sidelines, photo by dylanPASSWAITERRight: Senior David Blackwellprepares to catch a pass, photo BYDYLAN PASSWAITERdetermination is...Knowing the goal one wants to achieve and then doing everything in ones power to make that goal happen. Not letting the upsand downs, competition, or life get you off track, but constantlygaining traction towards the goal at hand.—Coach Andrew Wood34 \| SPORTS \| footballL
Source:	http://cdm17129.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/hs-bloomsouth/id/8056
Collection:	Bloomington High School South

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