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O'Sullivan |
BY STEVE DeSHAZO
When Emory & Henry coach Don Montgomery saw Evin O'Sullivan writhing in pain a year ago, he knew his star senior linebacker faced some long odds.
The Colonial Forge High School graduate had suffered a broken and dislocated ankle--the same injury Montgomery's son, Joey, once suffered at Mount Union, Ohio.
Even after the Wasps' team doctor treated the injury, O'Sullivan wasn't ready to call it a season.
"After I screamed, I calmly said, 'Tape it up, and I'll play,'" O'Sullivan said yesterday. "The doctor looked at me and said, 'You can't just tape this up.' I tried to put pressure on it, and it was the worst pain I ever felt."
So O'Sullivan underwent surgery wherein 10 screws and a 6-inch metal plate were inserted into his ankle. After months of tireless rehab, he received a medical redshirt from the NCAA and is back--perhaps better than ever.
In Saturday's 31-14 victory over Greensboro College, O'Sullivan returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown and a fumble 2 yards for another score just two plays later. He also made a game-high 12 tackles and earned Old Dominion Athletic Conference defensive player of the week honors.
"It was surreal," O'Sullivan said. It's an experience I'll remember all my life."
O'Sullivan has been overcoming odds for a while. Undersize at 5-foot-9 and 195 pounds, he led the ODAC with 136 tackles in 2007 and was named a Division III preseason All-American this fall, despite missing last season.
"He hardly ever gets blocked," Montgomery said. "People try to run at him, around him and away from him, and he always seems to manage to make the tackle. He's almost acrobatic out there. It's almost comical to watch, the way he throws around bigger guys."
O'Sullivan let his hair grow into a mane this summer and earned a new nickname from Montgomery: Braveheart, after the Mel Gibson film.
"He's a coach's kind of player," Montgomery said. "You never have to worry about where his head is at. He plays fearlessly and relentlessly."
MORE FOOTBALL
Junior quarterback Hagen Driskell (Caroline) threw a 98-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Beiler, second-longest in school history, as Bridgewater defeated Shenandoah 21-6 Saturday. Driskell was 9-of-18 for 188 yards.
Senior quarterback Austin Faulkner (Riverbend) was 16-for-28 for 287 yards and a TD in Randolph-Macon's 35-31 loss to Johns Hopkins.
Senior Jason Lovett (Massaponax) caught three TD passes (33, 32 and 56 yards) in Virginia-Wise's 48-0 win over The Apprentice School.
While sophomore Torrey Smith (Stafford) scored two TDs in Maryland's 38-35 overtime win over James Madison, a couple of local players stood out for the Dukes. Junior tailback Jamal Sullivan ran for 87 yards and a touchdown, while freshman defensive end Aaron Harper (Courtland) had two tackles, one for loss.
Senior linebacker Brent Trice (Orange) made 10 tackles in Vanderbilt's 23-9 loss to LSU.
Senior linebacker Stevie Johnson (Spotsylvania) made seven tackles and an interception in a loss to Old Dominion.
VOLLEYBALL
Sophomore Tori Lewis (Colonial Forge) and freshman Karina Monroe (Courtland) helped Chowan go 6-0 in the CIAA Volleyball Round-up in Hampton last weekend. Monroe had 17 kills and Lewis 12 in a victory over defending CIAA champion Elizabeth City State.
University of Mary Washington senior Anne Lutkenhaus was named Capital Athletic Conference player of the week after recording 79 kills and 68 digs in five matches at the Gettysburg Blast tournament.
SOCCER
Junior goalkeeper Ken Manahan (Chancellor) posted his third straight shutout in James Madison's 1-0 win over St. Joseph's Friday.
Junior Alex Myers (Colonial Forge) scored the winning goal as Longwood's women beat Coastal Carolina 2-1.
Junior Bailey Wilcox (Riverbend) netted the game-winner with four minutes left as East Carolina topped Old Dominion 1-0 Sunday.
Freshman Kara Blosser (Courtland) scored her team-high fifth goal in N.C. State's 2-2 tie with East Carolina.
Steve DeShazo: 540/374-5443
Email: sdeshazo@freelancestar.com
