His senior season was cut short when he received a damaging blow to a kidney in preseason. Now he

His senior season was cut short when he received a damaging blow to a kidney in preseason. Now he provides a different type of leadership.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NORTH LIMA -- Hogie Walley is present for every South Range High football practice, even when he doesn't have to be.
"I wanted to show them that I'm OK," Walley said.
That has become the theme of this story at South Range -- Hogie Walley is OK. It could have been much worse.
Of course, it hurts that Walley's senior season has been taken away from him. It hurts that he must stand on the sideline during games.
"It's depressing," he said. "I want to go out and help my friends. I want to be in the huddle with them, fighting for them.
"I just have to sit back and watch."
It isn't easy, but it is reality.
Setback
Walley's life changed before the season began. It changed in a scrimmage against Newton Falls.
"Coach talks about how you always have to play hard because you never know when it's going to be your last play," said Walley, who was slated to start this season.
While playing cornerback, the 5-foot-8, 150-pound Walley dropped back into coverage. The quarterback rolled out and decided to run for the corner of the end zone.
Walley shot in and dove for the quarterback's legs. That's when he got kicked and his left kidney split.
"At first I thought I had the wind knocked out of me," said Walley, who also played split end. "But they brought me over to the bench and all of a sudden I felt real nauseated. My chest started tightening up."
That happened on a Friday. On Monday, after numerous tests, doctors discovered that Walley had fractured his kidney. Hematoma, a mass of clotted blood, had formed throughout his chest.
Doctor's decision
The solution was to have the kidney removed, and Walley spent the next eight days in the hospital.
"I was just mad at everything," Walley said. "My mom was trying to tell the nurses that this isn't actually how I am. I didn't want to talk. You don't think that's going to happen to you."
After the surgery, word began to spread about Walley's injury and subsequent recovery.
He was overwhelmed with the support he received from the South Range community and surrounding areas.
"I got stuff from people I didn't even know," Walley said.
Walley also credits his parents, Bob and Michelle, and three sisters, Leanne, Stacey and Skye, for helping him through the troubling time.
"Things could have been a whole lot worse," South Range coach Dan Yeagley said. "We're thankful he's OK."
The Raiders (4-3, 2-2 Inter-County League), who travel to McDonald (3-4, 2-2) on Friday, are also thankful that he is around again.
"It's an inspiration," South Range senior lineman Cody White said. "We went two weeks without him around. Now he's here all the time supporting us. We know he's there for us."
The road back
Although one of his kidneys has been removed, Walley will still live a normal life.
In fact, he even plans to begin preparation for baseball season in the next couple of months.
For now, though, he will continue to show up at South Range practices and games, serving as the school's success story.
"You can't believe something like that could happen," White said. "It's nice to know that everything worked out OK. Things are starting to get back to normal."
richesson@vindy.com