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Goal keeper suffers neck injury
Cody Shultz suffered a season-ending neck injury in a game on January 5. Photo by: Kelsey Haasch
Written by Johnny Parker - Staff Writer
During a regular season game against the Hamilton Huskies on January 5, Gilbert High School freshman goalkeeper Cody Shultz suffered a serious and bizarre neck injury. Shultz fractured his first vertebrae from a knee to the head while attempting a Hamilton goal.
“Some guy had the ball, he kicked it and the next thing I knew, Cody was on the ground,” said fellow freshman Mario Hernandez who was on the field during the incident and admitted how scary it was.
“We didn’t know it was that serious until the trainers rushed on the field and we heard the sirens. Then we knew something was very wrong.”
The paramedics arrived shortly after the incident and hurried Cody to the hospital, completing various tests along the way. While in the ambulance, Cody underwent a flexibility test and a breathing test to make sure all things were okay before further determining the extent of the injury.
Shultz recalled the procedures he underwent while in the hospital.
“I remember them saying one of the main areas of concern was a damaged artery by my lung and if I had feeling on the left side of my body. A CAT scan showed all those things to be fine, so surgery was not needed.”
After everything was checked out, Shultz was diagnosed with a fractured first vertebra, an injury that will sideline him for three months and the remainder of the season. Shultz also has to wear his neck brace for 6-8 weeks as well, but he is taking the injury in stride and hopes to be able to play a full varsity season next year.
Cody is a “swinger” an athlete that practices with the varsity team but plays with the JV squad. He and head coach Jeff Perry hope to see a fully recovered Shultz on varsity next year. Perry had nothing but high praise for Shultz and some of the other freshmen “swingers.”
“We have a very talented class of freshmen this year and they have been doing very well. We hope to see many of them joining us on the team next year.”
When asked how to describe Shultz, Hernandez replies with a smile:
“ He’s a jokester. He loves to make people laugh and smile. He has one thing he says every time before we take the field. . .be safe, and remember: don’t break your neck.”
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