Baseball season will have just gotten underway and high school baseball and softball teams will be in the midst of their seasons on Saturday, April 14, but two coaches of freshman football at Normal Community West High School would like junior high kids to consider spending that day playing some Flag Football for a good cause.
“Competition For Cory” will be held at Kingsley Junior High School’s Truman Keys Field to help raise money to help Normal Community West High senior running back/defensive back Cory Ortiz and his family pay for medical expenses resulting from a season-ending injury Cory suffered last September. During a Wildcats away game against Danville on Sept. 23, Cory had the artery in his right elbow severed during a tackle. It was an injury that required emergency surgery at the time, and a total of seven surgeries to completely repair. Cory, to date, has had three surgeries with four to go.
Because Ortiz’s folks are independent business people, they were responsible for the first $10,000 worth of medical costs before their insurance deductible would kick in during the calendar year 2011. The same stipulation kicked in for calendar year 2012, too. The funds raised at “Competition For Cory” will go toward earning the $20,000 total needed.
What play got Cory into this circumstance? “It was a pass play, and I caught the ball and ran a curl route,” Cory said. “I tried to run and was tackled and landed with my arm on the ground, and some kid landed on it, and my arm bent 90 degrees in the opposite direction from how it should,” Cory explained.
He was Life Flighted to a hospital in Champaign where he had one surgery to begin repairing the arm. But, as I say, he has needed seven operations and meeting that deductible twice over two separate calendar years hasn’t been a pleasant prospect for Cory or his folks.
Enter now into the picture Brian Wiltz and Aaron Ellison, two coaches from Normal West’s freshman football squad. Knowing the enormity of the cost facing the Ortiz family weighed on their minds.
“It was a tandem idea of ours,” Ellison said of the notion he and Wiltz gave thought and then put into action with the blessing and appreciation of Cory and his parents.
“We both wanted to do something and we thought football would be the best way to go,” Ellison said. “Cory came to our house for dinner shortly after this all started, and I just knew that some more had to be done to help the situation.”
“The situation,” as Ellison labeled it, had both coaches pondering how they could help Cory and his family out. It was Wiltz who had the Flag Football concept dawn on him.
Cory’s college plans have him attending Utah’s Brigham Young University this fall. He said he has been considering trying out for the Cougars as a walk-on once his arm completely heals.
His return – that is, potentially trying out at BYU – added to having just recovered from the injury by then could make some wary of the idea of playing again. Cory said his mother is a member of that camp. But, he added, “I have a passion for the game.” So passion will try to win out in this case.
As for the “Competition For Cory” event itself, sixth, seventh, and eighth grade boys and girls will play on five-person teams. Normal West players will serve as referees and in other capacities during the event. Wiltz said fliers have gone out to “every middle school in McLean County and beyond, practically.” Links to the team application page as well as other details can be found on Normal West’s Football website, www.normalwestfootball.com.
Cory said that, with every surgery, his strength in the afflicted elbow is returning. He said every surgery gives him hope for a complete recovery.
Wiltz said this event has ways for adults to become involved, too, in addition to donating so their kids can play. The event’s organizers are looking for sponsors, as well as holding a silent auction to raise money at the event as well. There will be inflatables and other fun activities for kids younger that those who will be on teams, so they can enjoy the event as well, Wiltz said.
Wiltz said this is a unique situation, and with that, I would agree. The entire circumstance – from the injury that caused it to the solution for solving at least a portion of the financial need that will hopefully be responded to in order to help solve the problem – are unique in their own way, as well. Here’s hoping the event is a big success. I plan on dropping in on it, so I’ll let you know how things turn out.
On another subject, congratulations to University High’s Softball team, and their new head coach, Al Toliver, for getting the 2012 season and Toliver’s tenure at the helm, off to a great start. The Pioneers managed an 8-6 come-from-behind victory over Bloomington High School last week to start the season.