It was Friday night under the lights and the Verona football team was traveling to play against a very talented Shabazz team. Coming out after a week one win against Hoboken, the Hillbillies’ spirits were high, as they wanted to keep the success going. After a slow start, the game took a dramatic turn for the worse. On a normal run play on defense, middle linebacker Matt McKeown came up to make a routine tackle, but something was wrong- he emerged from the tackle clutching his hand. What he thought would be a mere jammed finger turned out to be a broken thumb.

When being asked if injury was ever a concern, Matt said “The thought never crossed my mind, especially in my senior season. When it happened, I hoped for the best but expected the worse.” However, nothing was going to keep senior captain Matt McKeown off of the field for too long. His play has been at an all-time high and he needed to get back as quickly as possible. After seeing multiple doctors about his thumb, surgery was necessary, but he was going to be back. After only missing two games, the star player was back in action.

“After getting hurt, all I could think about was how I let my team down. Getting back as soon as possible was the mission so I could get back to helping the team.” McKeown surprised everyone in a quick return. Matt was back to playing, but would have to wear a cast around his right hand to protect his injured thumb. His opponents may look at it as a weakness, but his level of play has not suffered. Since returning, McKeown has scored two touchdowns and over 250 rushing yards. He took back his roles as the starting running back and middle linebacker, and most importantly, his leadership role which the team missed desperately.

Matt has been playing varsity football since his freshman year and has always been a stand out on the team. His presence is vital to the success of the Hillbillies, and he knows what it takes to have a great season. He hopes to continue to get healthy and get his team ready to make a run in the state playoffs. McKeown refuses to let the injury keep him down;  he is remaining positive and that is exactly what this Hillbilly team needs.