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Panthers� leader isn�t going to get to play For months, Heather Fossen counted down the days. After tearing up her knee last Aug. 1 and undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair her anterior-cruciate ligament, Fossen had one cherished goal: return to South Medford�s basketball lineup. A little digital calendar in her room counted down the remaining days until Feb. 13, when South�s seniors play their final Southern Oregon Conference home game against Crater. It meant everything to the hard-nosed, 5-foot-7 guard, who set the Panthers� standard for floor burns and in-your-face defense � not to mention 3-point baskets. Fossen was there for every practice, shot for hours, worked on this part and that part of her game. Her conditioning was coming along. It was just a matter of getting clearance to play, the OK to dive for loose balls and physically help her team reach the Class 4A tournament. But a few days ago, Fossen got the word she didn�t want to hear. Her doctor wasn�t about to release her. Dr. Steven Chamberlain, has doubtlessly said no many times before � even when young athletes want to go back out on the field or floor more than anything they can imagine. But less than six months of mending time is risky when it comes to contact sports. The doctor said come back on March 13. "It was kind of an emotional blow," Fossen admits. "I worked so hard. Once (Chamberlain) said that I wasn�t going to play at all, I thought it was basically my whole senior year down the drain. My teachers wanted to know what was wrong. "I had such high expectations for this year. I had been thinking about my senior year since third grade (youth ball). I still look at my calendar � it was down to 16 this morning. But it doesn�t mean much now. I still go to practice, but it�s not the same." Fossen, however, knows the real score. She�s a 3.98 student and her academic standing will help pay for college. Still Fossen has her admirers in the college ranks. She�s been in contact with University of Portland coach Jim Sollars for some time and will visit the campus this weekend. "It�s just the risk factor," she says. "If I tore the ACL again, I would go crazy." Fossen has staved off craziness by being with South from the start of the season. She has been in uniform for every game, but her teammates seemed to miss her emotional spark during a mid-December-early January swoon. "I think the girls realized that it was going to take five players and they couldn�t do it by themselves," Fossen says. "We had a team meeting and we looked at what winning teams do and what losing teams do. One of the things winning teams do is have fun, and we decided it was time to start having fun." Since then, the Panthers have won five of six games. Despite being relegated to the bench for the entire season, Fossen still assumes a leadership role. "I feel like I�m the leader of the team," Fossen admits. "I yell when we get in a huddle and do the things that I would do if I was playing." Fossen has attended the past four state tournaments and wanted to finish out her prep career playing at the Chiles Center. She still hopes the Panthers make it. But her red-letter day has changed to March 13. Her next official competition won�t be on the hardwood, but on the javelin runway this spring. You can bet, however, she�ll be taking charges, setting screens and launching 3-pointers in her spare time. "I want to play somewhere," Fossen says. "I�ll go over to Superior Gym and play ratball if I have to." A BIG NIGHT AWAITS both South Medford�s boys and girls basketball teams tonight. The boys host Roseburg and the girls travel to Roseburg. South�s boys enter the second half of SOC play one game behind second-place Roseburg. The Panthers had the Indians where they wanted for two quarters in Roseburg before getting trounced in the second half, 77-52. A victory over the Indians would give the Panthers a shot at second place and a much better chance at making it to the state tournament. South�s girls notched a big road win at Ashland on Friday and are tied for second with five games to play. The Panthers could put themselves in position to at least tie for second place with Ashland and perhaps lay the groundwork for a home playoff game against the Grizzlies with a victory. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4483, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.