Hoban's Lewis Speaks About Season-Ending Injury

Archbishop Hoban defensive end LaTroy Lewis lost his season doing one of the things he does best – getting after the ball.

The senior and University of Tennessee recruit said he was going after a fumble midway through the third quarter in his team’s loss against Cleveland Benedictine when he broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot.

“I kept asking the doctor what it was,” he said right after the injury happened. “After I got to the hospital I found out. I didn’t know how to react.”

And with that, a promising season for the Knights continues to go wrong.

The Knights are now 0-2 and have lost one of the best players in the state in Lewis, who had started the season extremely well. In the season’s first game, Gonzaga College High School felt Lewis’ presence as he had a couple of sacks, several tackles for losses and a forced fumble.

“I was having another good game,” Lewis said of this past week.

Lewis said that he has received nothing but support from the University of Tennessee coaching staff.

“They had a few players with it,” Lewis said. “They recovered quite well. They just told me to get stronger and be well.”

Hoban now has to try to replace one of its best players. Coach Ralph Orsini said the team will miss Lewis because of his play and his intangibles.

"His leadership on the field is really going to be missed,"  he said.  "There is no other LaTroy Lewis."

Orsini said the Knights will try to replace Lewis by using different players with different strengths.  But what he and Lewis lament is the fact that this could have been a special year for the defensive end along with his bookend partner and close friend Greg McMullen.

"We have two special defensive ends, and they have only been able to play together three quarters," Orsini said.

It will likely force McMullen to shoulder more of the burden, but considering his two sacks and three tackles for losses against Benedictine, it doesn't seem as if that will be a problem.

"Greg can handle it," Lewis said.

"I think Greg will use this as motivation to honor LaTroy," Orsini said.