By Chad Wingert (Contact / Staff Bio)

Originally published October 14, 2009, 12:01 p.m. EST. Updated October 14, 2009, 12:01 p.m. EST

By Chad Wingert

Sports Editor

REESE — For the second consecutive year, Reese senior quarterback Josh Pickell has been limited to just five football games due to season-ending injuries.

In 2008, Pickell visited doctors because of shoulder pains only to find out that he had sustained a broken bone in his wrist that would sideline him for the Rockets’ final four games.

In those four games, Reese won just one, falling short of the playoffs for the first time since 1998.

This year, Pickell started experiencing pain after the Rockets’ Week 4 win over Marlette.

“I felt a lot of pain after the Marlette game. But as the days passed, I felt a lot better,” Pickell said. “Then the next week against Vassar, there was just two minutes left and I took a knee to the back that put me in a lot of pain.”

So again, Pickell visited the doctors to discover that he had suffered a lascerated spleen that would keep him out for the remainder of his senior season.

“I was really upset. I definitely teared up a little bit,” Pickell said. “That night was by far the hardest.”

However, as time went on, Pickell began to feel more at ease about his injury after being reminded of a similar instance involving Chris Simms, currently the backup quarterback for the NFL’s Denver Broncos.

In Week 3 of the 2006 NFL schedule Simms, then with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was taken off of the field after being the victim of numerous hard hits from the Carolina Panthers defense, but returned to the game and even led a successful scoring drive.

However, after the game, Simms was still in severe pain and was rushed to a hospital where tests revealed a ruptured spleen. Simms immediatedly underwent emergency surgere and later said that he had lost five pints of blood before the opperation and another 45 minutes without treatment could have claimed his life.

“After a while, I just had to be happy that we found it as soon as we did,” Pickell said. “I thought about Chris Simms a lot and how he almost died. It made it all pretty scary.”

After suffering their first loss of the year and having to prepare for a second year without their starting quarterback, Reese head coach Bob Saylor says, at that point, football was the least of his worries.

“Josh is a very talented quarterback and all-around athlete, so it was really unfourtunate to see him go down with an injury for the second straight year,” Saylor said. “His health was my first and foremost concern, football was secondary. After we knew he was going to be OK, we began to prepare for plan B.”

However, things are different now for Pickell. With doctors cautioning him to stay off the sidlines for fear of contact, Pickell now spends Friday nights in the press box with the other coaches.

“From the box, I just try to help out the quarterbacks as much as I can,” Pickell said. “Sometimes I have to calm Travis (Menapace) down and I also help break down the defense.”

Menapace, now the Rockets’ starting QB as a sophomore, has filled in nicely for Pickell and even earned the respect of the senior captain, especially after putting completing three passes for 60 yards and two touchdowns in Reese’s big win over EPBP.

“Travis has done a great job in two games. Our offense really has not missed a beat,” Pickell said. “He is continuing to improve and he knows the offense very well. He knows more now then I did when I was a sophomore.”

Saylor has also been happy with the progress of Menapace. However, one thing is for sure - there is still a place and a role for Pickell on this team.

“Josh is still our captain. He is a leader and a huge part of this team,” Saylor said. “He has helped Travis out a lot, but still, our main concern is getting Josh healthy.”

Last season with his broken wrist, Pickell was also forced to miss two games. This year, Pickell is hoping for a speedy recovery before it’s time to hit the hardwood.

But thinking about basketball season does not make things any easier for Pickell, With the Rockets chances of being crowned Greater Thumb West champs and making the playoffs looking very bright, it only gets harder.

“It’s very hard to watch the games from the sidelines. But, I guess it’s better than hearing about them from a hospital bed,” Pickell said with a laugh. “It’s still rewarding to see our team succeed. And, right now, we are focused on our big rival, USA. After that, then we can maybe start to think about the playoffs.”

Chad Wingert is the Sports Editor of the Advertiser and can be reached at Sports@tcadvertiser.com