Last Friday, on Sept. 5, the Matadors played the Alahambra Bulldogs at our home field. The Mats took a win for their first home game of the season. The theme was red, white, and blue, and the crowd showed up decked out in patriotic spiritwear and brought electric energy.
Last year, the Mats blew them out 44-0, so the Bulldogs came to the Matadome looking for redemption. Unfortunately, the first half of the game was more start-and-stop than usual due to excessive injuries, including a dislocated shoulder for cornerback Charlie Metherd.
“I dislocated my shoulder, and luckily, Mr. Grigsby was there to pop it back in. But this is a recurring injury, so I’ll continue to play,” Metherd said.
By the second half, the Mats were up 26-0, but the Bulldogs were relentless in their efforts. Tragically, with only a few minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and a score of 40-7, No. 1 Cade Forrester from Alhambra went down. All of the players took a knee, and the student, visitor, and parent sections went silent.
“The absolute silence that fell over the stadium — something I’ve never experienced at a football game — gave me the strength I needed to be there for him,” Forrester’s mother said in a statement to the Miramonte and Alhambra players and students.
Without knowing the severity of the injury, it was decided to call paramedics to avoid any potential damage to his spine. After being down for around twenty minutes, they decided to call the game early. Bri [Alhambra Sports Medicine teacher] shared that Forrester had numbness in his upper body and very little strength in his grip.
“I completely understood why she made the call to have him evaluated by medical professionals,” Forrester’s mother continued.
Although immediately after the injury, Forrester expressed numbness in his upper body, which is a sign of spinal injury, medical professionals evaluated him and determined that Cade suffered from a concussion. He is expected to make a full recovery.
The Forrester family showed immense gratitude to Miramonte’s sportsmanship and prayers during and after the game.
“We learned that the Miramonte staff, crowd, players, and coaches waited quietly and respectfully until all Alhambra families and players had left the field, creating a peaceful and safe space for our departure. That kind of sportsmanship and empathy doesn’t go unnoticed,” Forrester’s mother said.
