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Photo by Jim Craven Nick Rouhier (right) arrives just in time to help Eagle Point in the playoffs. Surprise ending to lost season Rouhier bounces back from knee injury faster than anyone predicted By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN Nick Rouhier says it was the nightmare of his young life. At the time, it felt like the end of the world for the Eagle Point High junior guard, who blew out his knee in a summer league basketball game last June. He was told his junior season for the Eagles was over before it really got started. And prospects for the rest of his career were dimmed by a discouraging doctor's assessment. He suffered major damage during an awkward fall to the floor last June. "The doctor said, `It doesn't look good in there,"' says Tim Rouhier, Nick's father and former Eagle Point coach. "Nick was pretty down. So was I." But a near-miracle has happened to Rouhier since this devastating moment in his life. The miracle of youth has allowed him to recover from torn ligaments and tendons much faster than expected. He's back playing for the Eagles as they make their late-season drive to the Class 4A state playoffs. Because Rouhier is a teenager in prime physical shape, his knee has healed beyond expectations. He was pronounced ready to play by his doctor nearly two months before he was expected to be ready. As a result, Rouhier can be seen flying gingerly around the court for the Eagles as a shooting guard who is anxious to regain his shooting stroke and make the biggest contribution he can for coach Keith Williams' team. "My shot isn't back yet, but it's great to be back out there," says Rouhier. "I had the biggest grin on my face the night I got into my first game." Nick is first to admit his play -- and particularly his shot -- have been hot and cold so far during his return. "At least I'm out there playing again," says Rouhier. "That's a relief. I know it will take time to get back to where I was last summer." His summer was terminated when he crashed to the floor after a dunk shot against rival Crater. "I didn't hang on the rim after the dunk," says Rouhier. "I should have." Rouhier crashed to the floor and landed awkwardly, twisting his knee beneath him. He looked down at his knee and saw the horrifying sight. "My knee had been completely popped out of the socket," he says. "I thought I had totally blown it out." Hours later, he was in a doctor's office getting the bad news about his knee. Major rehabilitation was ahead after surgery. "It was horrible," says Rouhier. "I wanted to be part of this team so badly. But it (the season) was over." Or so he thought. Rouhier made a faster-than-expected return to the Eagles late in the Southern Oregon Conference season. Playoffs are imminent, and the Eagles are in the the chase for a state playoff spot and perhaps a visit to Portland's Memorial Coliseum. Rouhier returned to the Eagles recently in a game against Crater. It was an emotional return for the junior sharpshooter, who has been a varsity player since his freshman year. "It was like a load came off my shoulders," he says. "It feels real good, but my legs are out of shape. I have had to remember my teammates have played 20 games and I'm getting ready for my fifth. It's hard, but at least I'm out there." Williams welcomed back his best player from last season. "It's a big boost for us to get him back," says Williams. "He doesn't have all of his confidence back, and his shooting has been inconsistent. But it was an emotional lift for us to get him back. "He had been pinging at us since Christmas to let him come back. But we didn't want to push it. He still has another season here, and college ball ahead, and we didn't want to take any chances." Rouhier, who is averaging just over 11 points per game through four games, is such a good shooter, he has the green light from Williams to shoot any time. "Coach Williams is like my second dad," says Rouhier. "The good thing is he has complete confidence in me. He told me to keep shooting right now, no matter what. "He's already told me that next year, when I'm a senior, I had better be letting it fly whenever I'm open around the 3-point line. That's nice to hear. I plan to do that. That will be fun." After what Rouhier has been through, he probably deserves to have some fun. Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.