What is the longest half hour in sports? Now I know. It’s the 30 minutes spent waiting for an ambulance when a child is down.

LHHS sophomore Luke Stringer scored a great goal for his club soccer team Friday night. Earlier in the day, he had had his first workout with the school varsity squad after being pulled up from JV for the playoff game against Rowlett. Buoyed by his chance to play in the big leagues, he had a beautiful shot right into the net at a showcase tournament, with college coaches sitting on the sidelines, scorecards in hand. While his leg was extended, the goalkeeper came down hard on his leg, breaking both bones just above the ankle. It took a heartstopping 30 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, while Luke lay on the turf motionless. He didn’t lose consciousness, but he wasn’t speaking in his state of shock. In fact, if he hadn’t motioned to his ankle, we’d still be celebrating the goal. With one look at his leg the break was evident – the limb was linear no more.

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I’d love to vent here about the frustration of being at a tournament where no one seemed to be in charge and no one knew the combination to the padlock on the gate where the ambulance needed to enter. Make a note – next time you host hundreds of high schoolers at a sports tournament, have a game plan for injuries and health issues. But, after a lengthy surgery at Baylor hospital, Luke is fine. He’ll set off buzzers at airport security stations from now on, though, due to the multiple pins and plates installed to stabilize his leg. And he’ll be missed at the Wildcat playoff game Tuesday night at Garland’s Williams Stadium at 6pm. He’ll have to wait until next year to score another hat trick for the Cats.