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Sports
ENLARGE
He leaned forward with conviction. There was a certain hint of intensity in his eyes even though he spoke calmly and deliberately.
The voice was void of much excitement, yet somehow one knew there was a deep passion for his team, his sport. It was toward the very end of his interview. It was as if he had saved the best for last. This was the crowning moment.
“What does not kill you makes you stronger. You learn from it.”
Brandon Loper prowls the defensive sidelines for Nevada Union these days. His senior year has produced a team of great promise. Going 3-0 in the pre-season, Loper has yet to face the challenge at defensive back he savors. Yet there is a spirit and a drive that is present in most of these Miners. So it also goes with Brandon Loper.
Yet Brandon is a far different case. He is the type of player from whom lessons are learned. It is his quiet inspiration that provides leadership for a team laden with seniors and battle-tested juniors.
Loper spends his time quietly participating in the game, methodically going about his job, exhibiting what makes this team speak of so much potential.
At age 9, Loper contracted Type I Diabetes. The symptoms were all there. He had fallen asleep during a Super Bowl game and drank large quantities of liquids to quell an undeniable thirst. Something was wrong, yet mom, Melissa, could not figure it out.
By the time he was tested at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital on a Sunday afternoon, his blood sugar level had skyrocketed to 800.
Melissa remembers: “I wondered what (diabetes) was. It was scary and shocking. It was a life changing experience while being terribly stressful.”
Brandon took it in stride. He began injecting his own insulin almost immediately. Melissa would stay awake nights testing his blood sugar levels. He would wake up mornings with sore fingers from the pricks it took to draw the blood to determine if everything was safe. Mom was tired, but her son remained healthy.
It has become a sometimes exhausting part of life, a crazy and often dangerous proposition. Yet life continued as normal. Football was a part of the landscape. Brandon was becoming good at it. He enjoyed it.
The routine found Melissa testing him throughout practices and at the end of each quarter of a game.
“He is an athlete and he manages to keep it all in place,” she said. “I would have been at the practices anyway. I found a way to simply enjoy the moment.”
Monitoring diabetes is a regimen. Furthermore, it is an imperfect science. It is a combination of diet, monitoring, exercise and behavior. There is nothing to cure it, even if you are a good and dedicated athlete. Even if you are Brandon Loper.
Success followed Loper. He excelled on the gridiron in spite of his handicap. Yes, he approached the game differently, ate carefully and played a quiet contest. There was no room for getting overly excited. It would simply lead to a dangerous escalation in his blood sugar.
When other teammates celebrated and leaped into each other's arms, Brandon stood quietly by. He could not afford to take the risk. An escalating reading would lead to disqualification from the game.
Truth be known, it is easy for unhealthy levels to approach without notice. Once they hit, it takes a long time to bring them back to acceptable levels.
It was a real-life Catch 22 for Brandon Loper. He dared to play an emotional sport calmly, quietly and patiently.
His high school days arrived, and he began to play for Nevada Union. The Miners became his quiet passion. His voice delivers a consistent message, albeit one void of great emotion.
He cannot afford to get too wrapped up in the game. He plays his position and executes well. He is the consummate tactician. On defense, he moves from play to play, never getting too high or agitated.
In the Ponderosa game on Sept. 2, he paid the price. Coach Jamie Wise has a blood sugar level maximum. It is 265. Against the Bruins, it elevated to 275. One of his seven tests during the game revealed the unhealthy number. So, he was pulled from the game.
Thus the rub. It goes up easy but comes down slowly. To make matters worse, it was merely the second quarter. He could not allow the anxiety of wanting to help his teammates come into play. He could not afford the stress of feeling he was letting them down.
“I barely warm up,” said Loper. “I just get warm and concentrate on not getting too excited. As soon as I see the (blood sugar level) rising, I watch it very carefully.”
His role is vital to this year's squad. As defensive back, he will be well tested as the Sierra Foothill League season approaches.
Miners head coach Dave Humphers comments, “Brandon Loper is exceptional. He asks no favors or accommodations. He just wants to compete.”
The strange part is that there is a lot of pressure for Loper to stay healthy during the course of the game. The team depends on him.
To make it even more challenging, Loper competed on offense as well as defense in the Monterey Trail tilt. Wise watched him very carefully. Wise spends a lot of time observing him.
“Jamie has been awesome,” notes Loper. “He has done everything he can to help me keep it under control.”
His game is much more solid than it was in 2010. It is a challenge to sometimes hold back, to celebrate big plays and satisfying wins. However, he plays with much more confidence this year. He is not the type to allow his handicap to hold him back.
Dave Humphers notes, “He faces a set of issues that few people can even fathom. I have great respect for the young man.”
Diabetes is always in the back of Brandon Loper's mind. The focus today is a longer season. He states that last year was depressing to play only 10 games.
“When we didn't make it last year, I felt cheated,” he says. “This season, we must win those close games. We have more weapons and a very experienced defense.”
He cautiously looks forward to the SFL campaign. He knows that the likes of Rocklin and Del Oro will put him to the test. Yet, the leadership of this squad is undeniable. Players are holding others accountable.
“Last year's sophomores seem like seniors this year. Kyle Cota's poise and leadership is incredible,” reflects Loper.
Indeed, what does not kill you will make you stronger. Brandon Loper is a man of great drive and determination. He knows what he wants and is bold enough to reach for it.
In his case, adversity has built strength. It has made him a better person, an inspiration to many. He has pushed through the barriers that life has presented.
Melissa is somewhat emotional now. Recounting it is a mixture of pain and delight.
“He is a great person,” she says. “I am really proud of him. He has never felt sorry for himself. It has not stopped him from anything. He will be able to push through anything in life.”
There is still a lot of football to play in 2011. There are many lessons to learn. There will be trials and tribulations. In order to prevail over each of the SFL teams to which they lost last season, the Miners will need everyone to pull together and prevail in those close games of a year ago.
However, for Brandon Loper, it is a part of the landscape. Despite certain odds, he plays the game he loves. He succeeds in the face of physical challenge. He dreams the quiet dream of victory. He may see himself on the bench as others celebrate.
Yet there is a volcano brewing in Brandon Loper. His dream is for it to erupt on Dec. 17 after a California Bowl win.
The voice was void of much excitement, yet somehow one knew there was a deep passion for his team, his sport. It was toward the very end of his interview. It was as if he had saved the best for last. This was the crowning moment.
“What does not kill you makes you stronger. You learn from it.”
Brandon Loper prowls the defensive sidelines for Nevada Union these days. His senior year has produced a team of great promise. Going 3-0 in the pre-season, Loper has yet to face the challenge at defensive back he savors. Yet there is a spirit and a drive that is present in most of these Miners. So it also goes with Brandon Loper.
Yet Brandon is a far different case. He is the type of player from whom lessons are learned. It is his quiet inspiration that provides leadership for a team laden with seniors and battle-tested juniors.
Loper spends his time quietly participating in the game, methodically going about his job, exhibiting what makes this team speak of so much potential.
At age 9, Loper contracted Type I Diabetes. The symptoms were all there. He had fallen asleep during a Super Bowl game and drank large quantities of liquids to quell an undeniable thirst. Something was wrong, yet mom, Melissa, could not figure it out.
By the time he was tested at Sierra Nevada Memorial Hospital on a Sunday afternoon, his blood sugar level had skyrocketed to 800.
Melissa remembers: “I wondered what (diabetes) was. It was scary and shocking. It was a life changing experience while being terribly stressful.”
Brandon took it in stride. He began injecting his own insulin almost immediately. Melissa would stay awake nights testing his blood sugar levels. He would wake up mornings with sore fingers from the pricks it took to draw the blood to determine if everything was safe. Mom was tired, but her son remained healthy.
It has become a sometimes exhausting part of life, a crazy and often dangerous proposition. Yet life continued as normal. Football was a part of the landscape. Brandon was becoming good at it. He enjoyed it.
The routine found Melissa testing him throughout practices and at the end of each quarter of a game.
“He is an athlete and he manages to keep it all in place,” she said. “I would have been at the practices anyway. I found a way to simply enjoy the moment.”
Monitoring diabetes is a regimen. Furthermore, it is an imperfect science. It is a combination of diet, monitoring, exercise and behavior. There is nothing to cure it, even if you are a good and dedicated athlete. Even if you are Brandon Loper.
Success followed Loper. He excelled on the gridiron in spite of his handicap. Yes, he approached the game differently, ate carefully and played a quiet contest. There was no room for getting overly excited. It would simply lead to a dangerous escalation in his blood sugar.
When other teammates celebrated and leaped into each other's arms, Brandon stood quietly by. He could not afford to take the risk. An escalating reading would lead to disqualification from the game.
Truth be known, it is easy for unhealthy levels to approach without notice. Once they hit, it takes a long time to bring them back to acceptable levels.
It was a real-life Catch 22 for Brandon Loper. He dared to play an emotional sport calmly, quietly and patiently.
His high school days arrived, and he began to play for Nevada Union. The Miners became his quiet passion. His voice delivers a consistent message, albeit one void of great emotion.
He cannot afford to get too wrapped up in the game. He plays his position and executes well. He is the consummate tactician. On defense, he moves from play to play, never getting too high or agitated.
In the Ponderosa game on Sept. 2, he paid the price. Coach Jamie Wise has a blood sugar level maximum. It is 265. Against the Bruins, it elevated to 275. One of his seven tests during the game revealed the unhealthy number. So, he was pulled from the game.
Thus the rub. It goes up easy but comes down slowly. To make matters worse, it was merely the second quarter. He could not allow the anxiety of wanting to help his teammates come into play. He could not afford the stress of feeling he was letting them down.
“I barely warm up,” said Loper. “I just get warm and concentrate on not getting too excited. As soon as I see the (blood sugar level) rising, I watch it very carefully.”
His role is vital to this year's squad. As defensive back, he will be well tested as the Sierra Foothill League season approaches.
Miners head coach Dave Humphers comments, “Brandon Loper is exceptional. He asks no favors or accommodations. He just wants to compete.”
The strange part is that there is a lot of pressure for Loper to stay healthy during the course of the game. The team depends on him.
To make it even more challenging, Loper competed on offense as well as defense in the Monterey Trail tilt. Wise watched him very carefully. Wise spends a lot of time observing him.
“Jamie has been awesome,” notes Loper. “He has done everything he can to help me keep it under control.”
His game is much more solid than it was in 2010. It is a challenge to sometimes hold back, to celebrate big plays and satisfying wins. However, he plays with much more confidence this year. He is not the type to allow his handicap to hold him back.
Dave Humphers notes, “He faces a set of issues that few people can even fathom. I have great respect for the young man.”
Diabetes is always in the back of Brandon Loper's mind. The focus today is a longer season. He states that last year was depressing to play only 10 games.
“When we didn't make it last year, I felt cheated,” he says. “This season, we must win those close games. We have more weapons and a very experienced defense.”
He cautiously looks forward to the SFL campaign. He knows that the likes of Rocklin and Del Oro will put him to the test. Yet, the leadership of this squad is undeniable. Players are holding others accountable.
“Last year's sophomores seem like seniors this year. Kyle Cota's poise and leadership is incredible,” reflects Loper.
Indeed, what does not kill you will make you stronger. Brandon Loper is a man of great drive and determination. He knows what he wants and is bold enough to reach for it.
In his case, adversity has built strength. It has made him a better person, an inspiration to many. He has pushed through the barriers that life has presented.
Melissa is somewhat emotional now. Recounting it is a mixture of pain and delight.
“He is a great person,” she says. “I am really proud of him. He has never felt sorry for himself. It has not stopped him from anything. He will be able to push through anything in life.”
There is still a lot of football to play in 2011. There are many lessons to learn. There will be trials and tribulations. In order to prevail over each of the SFL teams to which they lost last season, the Miners will need everyone to pull together and prevail in those close games of a year ago.
However, for Brandon Loper, it is a part of the landscape. Despite certain odds, he plays the game he loves. He succeeds in the face of physical challenge. He dreams the quiet dream of victory. He may see himself on the bench as others celebrate.
Yet there is a volcano brewing in Brandon Loper. His dream is for it to erupt on Dec. 17 after a California Bowl win.
Jim Adams lives in Nevada City, is a regular contributor to The Union and a broadcaster for TouchDown Productions. He may be reached via e-mail at adamses@inreach.com.
