Injury KOs No. 1 team's star
By Bob Sakamoto
Tribune Staff Writer
September 14, 2000
The moment quarterback Owen Daniels walked into the
coaches' office Wednesday morning, Naperville Central coach
Joe Bunge knew it was bad news.
With tears in his eyes, Daniels told Bunge his football
season and high school career were over. An MRI exam
disclosed a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left
knee sustained during the first offensive play of last
Friday's 43-0 victory over West Chicago.
"I couldn't believe the diagnosis," said Daniels, who went
back into that game and completed 11-of-13 passes for 185
yards and one touchdown. "I thought it was just a little
twisted knee. I was pretty much stunned. My doctor said he
could fit me with a knee brace and I could try playing, but
I would be risking making the injury worse.
"My coach and I agree that it's best that I don't play
anymore this season. Coach Bunge knows I have a future and
he doesn't want to risk it."
The 6-foot-4-inch, 220-pound Daniels, who made an oral
commitment to Wisconsin on Sunday, was considered among the
leading quarterbacks in the Midwest. He completed 31-of-36
passes for 566 yards and seven touchdowns, and ran for two
more TDs in three games.
"We originally thought it was just a sprained knee," Bunge
said. "We were all optimistic because he was at practice
[Tuesday] and wasn't in much pain. It's really a shame this
had to happen."
No. 1-ranked Naperville Central has outscored its
opposition 125-0 and forced the use of a running clock in
the second half of all three games.
"It's a hard thing to accept," Bunge said. "It's a part of
the game none of us like. I know it happened over at
Wheaton Warrenville South (All-Stater running back Brett
Bell's season-ending torn ACL). It's a shame when anyone
gets hurt in football, regardless if the player is a star
or not. We've just got to move on."
Phil Horvath, a 6-2, 180-pound junior, will start in
Daniels' place Friday night against Wheaton South. Last
year, Horvath led the sophomore team to a 9-0 record.
"Phil is a good athlete and a good leader," Bunge said. "I
think he'll respond real well. He's not going to try and do
the things that Owen did, and I don't want him to be
compared to Owen.
"We've felt all along that the strength of our team was
going to be the defense. Now, we can't expect to be scoring
as many points, so there will be a little more pressure on
the defense."
Copyright 2000 The Chicago Tribune