Opinion

By Steve Gress
Mid-Valley Sports

Kurtis Magee zeroed in on Ryan Ward and prepared to make a hit the Sprague quarterback would remember for the rest of the game.

The Corvallis High junior delivered a bone-crushing stop that could be heard up and down the Corvallis High sideline that late September night at Sprague High School.

As Ward slowly returned to his feet and headed back to the huddle, Magee remained down, half his body on the field, the other half on the sideline. Despite constant begging and pleading, Magee was not cleared to return to the game, a game the Spartans eventually lost 27-14 when the Olympians scored two touchdowns in the final seconds to break a 14-14 tie.

As he lay on the field, Magee wanted nothing more than to get up, walk off the tough hit and return to the game, one he loves to play.

Friday nights were what Magee lived for. He lived for the adrenaline and the passion to play football for Corvallis High.

Magee had the renewed energy many of the 2002 Spartans had under first-year head coach Chris McGowan. He wanted to play — and win.

As tough as it was to watch the end of the game that Friday night, what happened a few weeks later was even more difficult. Instead of missing time because of the fear of a possible concussion, Magee was forced to watch the remainder of the season from the sidelines in street clothes, the result of a poor decision he made away from the field.

Magee broke the school's code of conduct, his second such offense in a five-month span, causing him to miss the final four games of an already short season.

While it was tough, Magee remained a member of the football team, attending practices and helping out on the scout team. He was there for each of the final four games, doing his part to support his teammates.

"It might sound corny, but I just love football and it was my only time of the year to play it," Magee said back in January. "I screwed up and I had to be out there helping my team. If I screw up and say I'm quitting, that's not very honorable."

Magee's story isn't unlike many for high school student-athletes throughout the school year. He made a mistake and had to suffer the consequences, not an easy thing to handle.

"It made it sting a lot more and seeing people play football and think, ‘Oh God, I should be out there playing. I'm one of the unlucky ones.' I guess it was a slap in the face and it woke me up more," Magee said. "It was really hard."

After the second offense, Magee began attending Self-Awareness Group counseling sessions with other students, some athletes, to discuss the similarities of their situations. While Magee is no longer required to attend, he still goes on a voluntary basis.

It has been a learning experience, one he has spent the past five months or so trying to come to terms with it and move on. He has reevaluated his priorities and is taking the necessary steps to stay on the right path, looked at where his life is going and where he wants it to go.

He also doesn't want his friends to suffer the same fate he has.

"It helps them out in a way if they listen to me and most of the time they do," he said. "I looked forward to (football) all year, I lift weights and then I blow it because of one mistake. I just tell them, ‘I really don't want you to make that same mistake.' "

Still, it isn't easy to give up friends and relationships that might, harmlessly at times, get you in trouble.

So instead, Magee has tried to make some changes.

"Just hanging out and trying to keep my nose clean," he said.

One more strike and Magee knows he won't be allowed to compete again in sports at Corvallis High. It's a situation he has seen one of his classmates go through.

"I have no more leeway at all," Magee said. "That is kind of easier said than done, just saying, ‘No, I'm not, I'm going to stay away from any of the those things.' I have to decide, I guess, which is more important, football or the other stuff."

Not a difficult decision if you ask Magee. He knows he can still have fun without putting himself at risk.

Besides, there's nothing more Magee wants to do than get back on the football field, chase down another opposing quarterback and deliver a hit that will leave a lasting impression on his teammates.

In some respects, he already has.

Steve Gress is the high school coordinator for Mid-Valley Sports. He can be reached at 758-9544 or steve.gress@lee.net.