Sidney senior Jaeden Dillehay suffered a serious leg injury that prevented him from playing most of his junior basketball season and that also had him concerned about whether he would get to play his senior season as well. Fortunately, though, his leg healed in time so he could start playing basketball again this past summer, and his hard work and determination helped him re-gain his spot in the starting lineup this season. Dillehay’s contributions have helped the Red Raiders excel this season, and while he’s excited about that, he’s even more thrilled just to have another chance to play the game he loves and to make more memories with his teammates on the court one final time.
JEFF FIELDER Editor
SIDNEY – With his team up by about 10 points in the second quarter, Jaeden Dillehay looked to add to Sidney’s lead when he began driving toward the basket.
He leaped high into the air for a layup, and just as he released the ball, he was accidentally smacked hard in his head by a defender, causing Dillehay to lose his balance on his way down. His right leg landed awkwardly on the court, immediately causing sharp, intense pain around his knee.
A few seconds later, Dillehay slowly pulled himself up off the court, with his nose bleeding profusely, too.
“I was like, ‘This hurts so bad,’” he recalls thinking that evening on December 10, 2022, at Bayard High School. “I got fouled, but I remember thinking, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be able to shoot the free throws.”
You can read the entire story in the February 2023 issue of Nspire Today! magazine. A one-year subscription (12 issues) is only $20. You may sign up for a subscription by sending $20 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363, or you may pay with a credit card by calling 308-220-8865.
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