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THE LATEST IN PANTHER SPORTS
Injury setback hasn’t diminished senior’s commitment to teammates
BY SCOTT AKANEWICH
SPORTS EDITOR
Logan Dyer walks into the room and sits down, drenched with sweat from having just come from the weight room, where he was throwing iron around beside his fellow Panther athletes on a typical weekday afternoon.
However, for the Liberty Hill senior fullback, he didn’t play in the Purple-andGold’s most recent game, nor will he play a role in the next or any other contest this season.
You see, Dyer also plays baseball for the Panthers and at the beginning of last season when he and his teammates were playing at a tournament in the Dallas area, he dove for a ball while patrolling his customary center field and in doing so, suffered an injury that would have a massive impact on his senior year.
Crashing to the ground on the fateful play resulted in a torn labrum in Dyer’s left shoulder – an injury that would eventually require surgery to correct after the season and would relegate him to designated hitter duties for the rest of the campaign.
It also meant he would miss out on his entire senior season on the gridiron while he continued his rehabilitation in order to be ready for when baseball resumes.
But, just because Dyer is unable to suit up on Friday nights and join his brothersin-arms on the field of battle doesn’t mean he still hasn’t done everything else he normally would – including being out on the practice field before dawn every day.
The reasoning behind this is clear, said Dyer.
“I feel like I owe it to my teammates to be there for them,” he said. “I’ve played with most of these guys since seventh grade and
Liberty Hill senior Logan Dyer (#12) was an integral part of a Panthers team that advanced to the state championship game last season. PHOTO BY ALEX RUBIO
we’ve gone through so much together.”
Just how much respect does Dyer have from his teammates?
Despite his being sidelined for the entire season before it even began, he was voted a team captain by his peers – an honor befitting someone of his caliber, said Liberty Hill head coach Kent Walker.
“Logan’s just an awesome young man to have on our team,” he said. “He’s a great kid, athlete and student – someone I like for my son to be around. We’re very fortunate to have him.”
Road to recovery
As one might expect, the rehabilitation process has been long and laborious for Dyer following the June 2 procedure to repair his shoulder after the initial injury in March.
“For the first six weeks, my arm was in a sling and I couldn’t do anything,” said Dyer. “After that, the next six weeks was about regaining the mobility in my shoulder.”
Only recently has Dyer gotten to the point in the rehab process where he can once again lift weights, which is the final stage of the comeback trail for baseball season, which begins in January.
But, despite the fact he’ll be back at 100 percent when the first pitch of spring is thrown, it still pains Dyer to not be able to venture any further than the sidelines while his fellow footballers are out on the field – although he knows that’s all part of the tedious process that must take place in order for him to finish his high school career on a high, after all.
“It’s tough because I’d like to be standing out there on the field with them,” he said. “But, I want to be able to enjoy my senior year of baseball.”
Having an influence
Dyer’s last hurrah on a football field was the Panthers’ appearance in the state championship game at AT&T Stadium in Arlington in December 2021, but although he’s no longer in the trenches with them, Dyer still has much knowledge and wisdom to pass along to his younger teammates – even though he said he has to pick his spots a bit more carefully these days given his particular predicament.
“For me now, it’s a little different,” said Dyer. “I can’t hold them accountable the same way as if I was playing – I have to be careful and encourage them.”
Coming to terms
According to Dyer, the lessons he has learned from being a part of the Liberty Hill football program over the years has certainly helped him deal with the situation he’s found himself in for the past several months.
“Probably the two biggest things for me are number one, how to be tough even when you’re under hardship,” said Dyer. “Number two is discipline – being up at 5:15 every morning has helped me make sure I get all my rehab in.”
Walker said from his vantage point, what Dyer has dealt with is a harsh hand.
“As coaches, you never want to see a kid go through something like that,” he said. “Especially with how hard all our kids work.”
Although he still doesn’t have a grasp on why the injury happened, Dyer has reached the point of acceptance and moving forward.
“One-hundred percent, I believe everything happens for a reason,” he said. “The advice I would give anyone in a similar situation is to be thankful for every day and take nothing for granted – but accept it as your reality and lean on those you know you can for support. It’s a challenge and a struggle, but it will shape you into the person you’re supposed to be.”
Despite being out for his entire senior season of football due to injury, Logan Dyer (#12) still provides a positive influence on his teammates. . FILE PHOTO BY ALEX RUBIO
