BILLINGS — Columbus senior quarterback Colter Chamberlin is just happy to be back on the football field.
Chamberlin suffered a high tibial plateau fracture in his left leg last season, though the exact prognosis wasn’t known for the first few days as they were left with questions about the severity.
“First thought was, 'Oh, crap,'" Chamberlin said. "I felt a pop and it felt like a shock up my leg."
“Absolutely thought the worst," said Chamberlin's father Tom. "Totally just expected (the worst), but after a few days and talking to a couple of people — no swelling, no bruising. Get an MRI after a couple days and it's the best-case scenario — broken."
Chamberlin returned for basketball season, crediting a basketball coach and her boyfriend for getting him back out on the floor quicker than anticipated.
“Mesa King, our new head girls basketball coach, was huge. Every morning at 6 a.m. we'd go in and I'd do isometrics with my leg. Full rehab and recovery stuff. Once Jalen Hodges got back from overseas, he took over from then on. He knew what to do. He's had knee injuries like that before," Colter Chamberlin said.
Now fully back to 100 percent, Chamberlin leads a senior-laden Coumbus team aiming for a deep playoff run. There are 14 seniors on the Cougars' roster.
“We're bringing a lot of guys back so I really think we have a good chance to make a deep playoff run," Chamberlin said. "We've got a lot of guys that have experience, too. A lot of guys that played their freshman and sophomore year, then especially last year. Last year was a big year for us to get a taste and the feeling of everyone starting in my grade."
The Cougars are back in action on Friday night as they host Jefferson.
