BACK TO SCHOOL ISSUE

Taylor, Foss, Weire ready to go after months of off-season work

After some serious injuries during the 1987-88 NIU sports season, the outlook of the 1988-89 season looked doomed before it began.

The starting quarterback of the football team, the leading scorer of the women’s basketball team and the No. 1 seed men’s tennis player were all benched with injuries during the last stretch of each of their seasons.

Quarterback Marshall Taylor’s fate came when the clock read 5:28 at the stadium in Nevada-Las Vegas, as he laid on the ground with a broken ankle.

One week after the break, Taylor underwent surgery for broken tibia and fibula bones in his lower left leg, and he also had a special plate and screws inserted to aid recovery.

With 6:48 remaining on the clock in the final game for the NIU cagers, starting guard and offensive threat Lisa Foss collapsed when her knee gave out. Surgery was performed to correct the torn anterior cruciate of her right knee.

In the final week of games, Steve Wiere, No. 1 seed men’s tennis player, sprained an already-weak ankle and was unable to play a couple of matches. He was dropped to the No. 3 seed for the season finale match.

Fans seemed discouraged and coaches were concerned, but for Foss, Taylor and Wiere, the road to recovery has been an unexpected and fast one.

“(Marshall) is completely healthy, 100 percent and ready to go,” NIU football coach Jerry Pettibone said. “There will be a psychological barrier he will have to fight the first time he takes a blow on that ankle, but otherwise (the ankle) is completely mended.”

Foss may not be 100 percent yet, but she is doing better than expected according to assistant coach Kim Duppins.

“We are real pleased with (Foss’) progress,” Duppins said. “She’s ahead of schedule as far as where we thought she would be right now, and she should be close to 100 percent by October 15 (beginning of practice).”

Wiere’s injury was not as serious, but his recovery has been just as noteworthy. According to coach Carl Neufeld, Wiere just finished competing in the National Amateur Tennis Tournament where he reached the quarterfinals.

But not all injuries turned out as sweet as Taylor, Foss and Wiere’s in the end.

Tim Peshek, NIU’s top fullback in 1987 who sustained a serious knee injury, will not return to the Huskie football squad.

Pettibone said Peshek has been declared a “medical”, (a scholarship player who has consent of a team doctor not to continue playing because of a career-ending injury) but he will help out as a student coach working with the fullbacks.

“It will be a loss,” Pettibone said. “He was an excellent player and we’ll miss him.”

Pettibone said Matt Kentner (inside linebacker), who broke his arm during the season last fall, has also been declared a medical.

Although Pettibone said Rufus Taylor (centerback) is “responding well” after knee surgery, he is not expected to play until October.