OAKWOOD — Isaac Henry leaned on the fence at Billy Ellis Memorial Stadium Thursday night staring at the place he had called both home and office for the last four years and tried to take it all in. But, the Johnson senior soccer player said that’s when all the emotions of a season both satisfying and heartbreaking hit him all at once.
“I just had to take one last look,” Henry said with a far off look in his eye. “For a lot of reasons, this will be a year I will never forget. It was tough knowing I won’t get to play here again. It was tough for a lot reasons.”
Henry, a center back defender, has been a starter each of the last three seasons for a Johnson team that has been one of the most consistent in any classification in the state over the past four years. Henry was an integral part of the Knights improbable run to the Class AAAA state title match in 2014. He was expected to be a vocal on-field leader as the Knights tried to get back to the championship match in 2016.
But his season, and high school playing career, came to a crashing halt back on Feb. 24 against Oconee County when he was kicked during a tackle and had his right fibula shattered along with two torn ligaments in his ankle.
All-time leading Johnson scorer and fellow senior Fabian Abarca said he felt sick when he saw the injury happen.
“When Isaac went down you could see it was bad and he was in a lot of pain,” Abarca said. “But I also knew how big a part of the team he was and wondered a little if that might be enough to keep us from our goals. He is a huge part of this team.”
It didn’t take long, however, for the rest of the Knights to realize they had something more to play for than just the program’s first-ever state title.
“Isaac means a lot to us,” senior Bryant Anaya said. “We want to win one for him. He helped this program get where it is. We wouldn’t be here without him.”
Edgar Torres, also a senior, said the team came together even more after a visit to Henry in the hospital after his surgery.
“Seeing him lying in the bed like he was, it made a lot of us have a new perspective on things,” Torres said. “We realized that we have to play every game like it was going to be our last one. It has been a different feeling ever since then.
“We want to win (a title) for all of us and the school. But to get one for Isaac, who is always around and positive and never misses a practice; I think we would all like that just as much.”
Thursday’s trip didn’t actually turn out to be the last time Henry and the Knights got to trod on the grass at The Dungeon. A last-minute workout called by by coach Brian Shirley on Friday afternoon had the group kicking balls and doing drills on the eve of what they hope will be the biggest day in the history of Johnson sports.
The Knights will trek to Macon on Saturday to take on defending Class AAAA champion St. Pius in the title match at Five Star Stadium at Mercer University looking to come away with the school’s first-ever team state title. Kickoff is schedule for 2:30 p.m.
And there was Henry, right in the middle, leaning on his crutch this time. Shirley said it has become a sight that has he has begun to enjoy and grow accustomed too.
“He’s like another coach out there for us,” Shirley said. “He’s such a great kid and the guys just love him. It’s a tight-knit group anyway but to see how they have rallied around him has been special.”
In one of the first games when Henry was able to finally get back out on the field in a boot and a crutch, the team showed him what he meant to them.
“They broke the huddle before the game with a ‘1-2-3-Isaac.’ It was very moving that they would do that and it meant a lot to me,” Henry said.
But Henry admitted that he has had mixed emotions at times on the field.
“I understand now what the coaches go through. I can’t sleep before a game thinking about how we’re supposed to do things. I get real nervous like a coach because I can’t do anything to help. It’s tough to watch because I want to play and help,” he said.
“But, it’s also satisfying because I worried when I got hurt what would happen. The guys that came in for me [Tony Maldonado and Juan Maben] have done a great job and picked me up. We’re just one step away from our goals and that makes me happy even though I can’t be on the field.”
The next step will be a doozy, however. Despite being ranked in the top 10 nationally, the Knights (20-0-1) will be taking on a Golden Lions (16-5) team that is the defending Class AAAA champion and has three straight titles overall after winning Class AAA titles in 2013 and 2014. They have won five titles over seven years spanning three classifications.
“They are still as good as ever. Don’t let the losses fool you,” Shirley said. “They’re experienced and used to playing in big games. It’s going to be a huge challenge for us.”
Henry used his newfound coaching perspective to offer his analysis on what is expected to be one of the premier title matches of the weekend.
“I don’t see either team as an underdog or a favorite, really,” he said. “It’s going to be like two heavyweight (boxers) going toe-to-toe. It’s should be fun to watch.
“(St. Pius) is the defending champs so you know they’re going to be tough and ready to play. But I feel like we have a chip on our shoulder. We have a lot of heart, and skill, and speed and we want this bad.”
Abarca, who scored both of Johnson’s goals in a 2-1 victory over Buford Tuesday in the semifinals to send them back to the title match, said they are using their experience in 2014 as a learning curve.
“We we a little nervous before that one but that match helped us learn how not to be nervous in the big matches,” he said. “Looking back I think maybe we were a little satisfied about just getting there since that was our goal. We’re trying to use that to help us this time.
“As a group we haven’t really discussed it. But we know it’s not just another game and we’re trying to be in the moment a little. We all want to win this one. For us as a team, for the school, and for Isaac.”
You could tell Henry already was in the moment on Friday. With shades on, he was leaning on his crutch in the middle of The Dungeon looking down at the turf with a huge smile on his face.
