PELLSTON – Kaleb Goodrich was desperate to be on hand to support his teammates during a district clash with Grayling last March.
But three weeks before the start of the postseason, the Sheboygan boys basketball guard was diagnosed with mononucleosis, ultimately ending his junior season.
“It was horrific,” Goodrich recalled. “Mono was probably the sickest I’ve ever been and it took a lot out of me and it hurt me even more when I wasn’t playing and not being able to be there and cheer for my team. I was so angry and couldn’t Going into the game, but luckily we only had one senior so I didn’t let too many people down, but it cost me a lot not being able to go out there and help my teammates.”
Due to medical issues, Goodrich did not play in Sheboygan’s final three regular-season games and against the Vikings, who defeated the Chiefs on the road. Goodrich hoped to return to the bench that night, but that was not the case.
“I didn’t think Mono would let me get that far,” Goodrich said.
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Fortunately for Goodrich, he still has one more season left. A few months later, he attended a recent preseason game at Pellston High School with his teammates. The smooth left-handed shooting guard, one of Sheboygan’s top two-way players, was outstanding.
Being back on the field with friends after last winter means the world to Goodrich.
“We’re a very close team this year,” Goodrich said. “We’ve been playing together for a while. For most of us, we’ve been playing together since middle school. We love playing together. We’re not the biggest team, but we’re a team with a heart. “We Definitely keeping each other up and I think that will be a big factor in our performance this season. ”
Before Mono’s hit, Goodrich was one of Sheboygan’s most consistent players, averaging 10.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Coach Jason Friday saw firsthand the physical and mental toll the monkeys took on Goodrich, and he has been close to the Sheboygan standout over the years. On Friday, I completely understood how frustrated Goodrich was.
“As soon as last year’s season ended, he started looking forward to this year — he just loved the game,” said Goodrich on Friday. “He was trying to do everything he could to play, but he had zero energy and he wasn’t able to go to school for a long time and I know he was really hurt because he couldn’t go to school. Support the team on the sidelines and on the court.”
With Goodrich back for his final season, Friday knew what kind of talent he had. Goodrich will help the Chiefs navigate another challenging game, both offensively and defensively, said Friday.
“I just think his knowledge of the game, his decision-making, his ability to get the ball to people at the right time is great because that’s an art in itself, knowing your personnel and getting the ball where it needs to be. Pass it to people. The person you pass it to is going to be successful in whatever they do with the ball, and Kaleb just has a knack for that,” Friday said. “Caleb does a great job getting in the hole. It’s hard to put into words what exactly he does best because he does everything so well.
“He’s a leader on the court, no question.”
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When Goodrich returns to action, he’s hoping for a grand finale on the hardwood.
“It’s going to suck knowing this is the last game of my basketball career, but I’m going to be excited to do it with my teammates and help lead this team,” Goodrich said. “I loved every second of it. Sometimes you wish you played a different sport, but you’re back on the court so quickly. Basketball is my whole life, it’s my main sport and I love it.”
Sheboygan opens the season Wednesday at Johannesburg-Lewiston before hosting East Jordan on Friday.
Contact Sports Editor Jared Greenleaf:jgreenleaf@gannett.com.Follow him on X (formerly Twitter)@sportsCDT