12/21/2008 - Tough Break For Sisco
Mike Sisco could pass for an assistant coach when he sits on the Jefferson boys basketball team’s bench.
The strapping 6-1, 225-pounder was nattily clad in a sweater vest and tie, and with his closely-cropped beard, Sisco looked like he should be drawing up plays during a timeout rather than listening to Jefferson coach Joe DiGennaro.
But unfortunately for Sisco and the Falcons, the bench is the only place on the basketball court you will find the senior power forward for the next 6-to-8 weeks due to an existing back injury Sisco aggravated during football season.
Sisco said that he will have surgery on his lower back in early January, and through some rigorous rehab, he hopes to help the Falcons make a run to the final Sussex County Interscholastic League boys hoops championship in February.
Everyone knows injuries are part of sports and a big reason why teams win or lose championships sometimes. And injuries are also tough for seniors who were counting on doing big things in their final seasons.
So the fact that Sisco is injured isn’t a new tale in the world sports. But there is a twist to the story that makes Sisco’s story a very unique one, at least in my eyes.
You see, Sisco aggravated his injury during football season, no shock there. But the fact that Sisco was even playing football is the real story, and ironic, considering that Sisco stopped playing football after his freshman season to concentrate on hoops and avoid such injuries.
Sisco decided to come back out for the team this season after some prodding from Jefferson football coach Joe Mattessich, (okay, maybe A LOT of prodding) and Sisco was a natural at tight end and defensive end for the Falcons and enjoyed an outstanding season for the North 1, Group 2 and SCIL co-champion Falcons (11-1).
Sisco emerged early in the season as a dominant pass rusher and he finished the year with 8.5 sacks and 55 tackles. He terrorized quarterbacks all season with his unique combination of quickness, strength and footwork, all of which he refined as a starter for the Falcons basketball team the last two seasons.
He also developed as a reliable target for quarterback Gavin McCarney and finished with 10 catches and two TDs. And his two touchdown grabs were huge as he hauled in a scoring strike in Jefferson’s 27-21 overtime win over Wallkill Valley, which clinched the share of the SCIL, and he also grabbed a critical TD in the Falcons’ thrilling 19-7 upset of previously undefeated and defending section champ River Dell.
And he put all of his football and basketball skills on display in one play in the state final against West Essex with an incredible one-handed grab for a 20-yard gain.
But only 12 hours after the historic state title win, Sisco was back on the hardwood getting ready to help the Falcons defend their SCIL hoops title. But that is when it happened. After two days of practicing, Sisco was in severe pain, a pain so piercing that even a tough guy like Sisco knew it was time to get it checked out.
The doctor then gave him the news no athlete ever wants to hear: he needed surgery and he would miss most of his senior season.
“It is a little depressing not being able to play my senior year,” said Sisco. “I’m still going to be with the team, be a leader, and support them. Hopefully I will be back before the county tournament. I’m definitely going to work hard to do it.
“We have a lot of depth,” he added about the Falcons, who are off to a 2-0 start, which includes a thrilling 71-61 double-overtime win over Sparta. “I think everyone will step up and fill the holes.”
DiGennaro was equally as disappointed as Sisco. The Falcons had counted on Sisco the last two seasons to supply a physical presence on the floor, from setting bone-crunching screens, to keeping bodies off Jefferson’s silky-smooth center Derek Hall in the paint.
“He is the type of kid every coach needs to be successful,” said DiGennaro. “He is very coachable and he goes out and does what he is told, no questions asked. He does all the grunt work, which makes everyone around him better.
“There is no one better setting screens and he is a great leader,” added DiGennaro. “He will be sorely missed. I’m curious to see how the team reacts. I’m confident they will in a positive way.”
Sisco and the Falcons situation is very similar to what happened to Pope John last year when Chad Bucur was hurt playing football and missed the season with a bad shoulder. PJ was the favorite coming into the season before Bucur, a big physical presence, was injured.
It took a few games, but PJ was able to rally without Bucur and the Lions went on to win the SCIL Festival after knocking off, ironically, Jefferson.
So does Sisco have any regrets about coming back out for the team? And does he view his deal with Mattessich like a deal with the Devil in that he traded hoops for a football title?
If you know Mike Sisco, you need not even ask.
“There are no regrets,” he said. “I’m really glad I played and I loved every minute of it. I would tell anyone who asked if it was worth the risk, yes, it was. Playing more than one sport really helps you in so many ways.”
But if there is a silver lining for Sisco, it is this. By returning to the gridiron, Sisco now has the chance to play football in college and is getting looks from East Stroudsburg, New Haven, and get this, Big East power UConn.
“They called asking for tapes,” said Sisco, with a wide grin, about the Huskies. “That would be great.”
Yes, it would. For as hard as Sisco worked on his hoops game, Jim Calhoun and the Huskies basketball program would not be knocking on his door. Playing football his senior season has given Sisco, also a fine student, an opportunity to possibly play football on the collegiate level and get money for it.
So was it worth it? You betcha. Here is hoping Sisco makes a quick and healthy return to the basketball court and that other athletes take the same mindset of Sisco in that playing more than sport is the way to go in this day and age of specialization.
That’s it for now, have a great Holiday season and I will see you on the sidelines.
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