For senior athletes, every season is a little more emotional. It’s your last chance to make an impact, last time playing a game you love and last time playing with the teammates you have created special bonds with. Emotions can run even higher for seniors who experience an injury and might not be able to play at all. This was the case for senior AJ Arensberg, who experienced an injury this fall that almost sidelined his basketball season.

“I was heartbroken, sitting in anticipation and waiting to find out what the injury was,” Arensberg said. “I love football and I love track, but basketball is really my favorite sport. Heartbroken is the only word I can use to describe what I was feeling.”

The injury happened during the last football game of the season against North Bend Central on Oct. 25. Arensberg was blocking for a teammate when an opposing player missed a tackle and landed on him.

“I fell to the ground because someone had gotten tackled on top of me, and all their body weight was on the back of my legs. We were twisted and I heard a pretty bad pop in my knee, and when I tried to get up I was in excruciating pain,” Arensberg said.

Arensberg was rushed to the emergency room, where he then got an X-ray. They concluded that nothing was broken, but he was told to schedule an MRI.

“I got hurt Friday night, and the upcoming Monday I went in for an MRI. They told me I would have to wait a few days to get my results back,” Arensberg said.

As Arensberg anxiously waited for the results, his teammates were also concerned.

“I was nervous for him because it was mid-season and during his senior year. I felt really bad for him because his favorite sport is basketball, and missing that would be hard for him and the team,” senior Owen Egr said.

While he was worried he might have torn his ACL, meaning surgery and a long rehab process, two days after the MRI, Arensberg learned that he partially tore his MCL and he would only be out for six to eight weeks leading into basketball season. 

“I was ecstatic after figuring out that the injury wouldn’t be as bad as I initially thought. And then the road to get there was hard with all the physical therapy, but just anything I could do to give myself the chance to play was a great opportunity,” Arensberg said.

Arensberg took physical therapy as a challenge to bounce back as fast as possible.

“I was told I would be out for six to eight weeks, but I attacked it pretty hard and I worked at it a lot. My recovery ended up being physical therapy three times a week for five weeks, along with shock therapy and acupuncture on my knee as well,” Arensberg said.

While he missed the jamboree game, Arensberg was on the court for the first official basketball game of the season on Dec. 5, which was great news for the team.

“I was happy for him because he wouldn’t miss any games or experiences for his senior year. I was also happy because having him back gives the team a good leader on the floor,” head coach Jesse Gardner said.

Although his knee wasn’t fully back to normal, Arensberg’s first game went better than he expected. 

“Our first game went well, and we came out with a win. I played well, and my knee held up okay. There was a little soreness and tightness, but it was a lot better than I originally thought. Coach restricted my minutes, though, and I wasn’t able to play as much as I normally would,” Arensberg said.

Ever since that first game of the season, Arensberg worked back up to playing full games, and he and the team have taken full advantage of their time on the court, leading to a 16-5 regular season record.

“This is the best record we’ve had in my four years here. We’ve never been doing this well, so having the chance to be a top team in the state and make the state tournament has been awesome,” Arensberg said.

Arensberg’s teammates recognize that he has played a major role in leading this team to success.

“He always brings a positive energy to practice every day and holds everyone accountable for how hard they’re working. He has expectations that we’re going to go far, and he makes sure that we follow through on that with him to make his senior year the best that it can be,” junior Carson Jurey said.

With this successful season, the team and Arensberg have had many highlights.

“I scored my career high against Ashland, which was 20, and that same game was a big win for the team because they are ranked top 10 in C-1,” Arensberg said.

As his favorite season winds down, Arensberg is grateful for his time on the court and hopes to reach his personal and team goals for this year.

“We’ve never made the state tournament in the four years I’ve been here, so my team goal is to make the state tournament and make a run at that state title because that’s been my dream ever since I was a kid,” Arensberg said. “Personally, I want to just stay healthy and look back on the season and be proud of what I did.”