Comeback Jacob

Despite an aching ankle, Jacob Duran, a Texan eighth grader, overcame throbbing pain to play the sport he loves.

“Dad, I twisted it again… the opposite way!” Duran, lying on the hardwood, shouted to his unassuming father seated on the bleacher’s second row.

“You did?” replied a curious Mr. Duran as he looked fixedly at his injured son.

Wounded Jacob did motion-of-range exercises and put ice on his anklebone but couldn’t walk without discomfort.

A tired, disappointed head shake and “I don’t know” was his response when I asked him could he finish the remaining day.

Later on, lo and behold, Duran fought hectically for a loose ball in the paint as though his ligaments weren’t stretched or torn.

Duran rebounded his own missed shot and scored a put back. A defender fouled him to add insult to injury, and on the flip side he swatted several shooters.

As both a player and person, Duran developed exceedingly with assistance from his competitive peers.