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Highland • Seth Corry weaved through the oncoming cavalry of Roy defenders in the 2015 quarterfinals. He avoided pinning his Lone Peak team in a precarious situation next to its own goal line, but as the opposing punt coverage approached, he was forced out of bounds.
Right before he crossed the barrier, Corry was struck in his right leg, launching him airborne, and shifting all of his weight onto his left leg upon impact.
"I heard a pop," he recalled.
An MRI later revealed a complete tear of his anterior cruciate ligament.
Corry, then the leading tackler on the Knights' defense as a junior, was done. He celebrated an upset victory against Bingham in the semifinals on the sideline the following week, but after undergoing surgery the day before the state championship, he watched painfully from his couch as his team's undefeated season slipped away against Herriman.
"It was one of the hardest things I've had to do," Corry said. "Very lonely. I felt like I let my team down."
For the next year, Corry would experience that same feeling of unwarranted guilt.
As one of the top baseball prospects in the country, Corry is projected to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft following his senior season. According to Perfect Game, Corry is the No. 2-ranked left-handed pitcher nationwide for the Class of 2017 and the No. 23 overall prospect.
Standing at 6-foot-2, Corry hurls a four-seam fastball clocked between 92 and 95 miles per hour, while keeping batters off-balance with a downward-breaking curveball, a changeup and a slider.
Corry's future is very bright on the diamond, and so, after missing large chunks of his junior year on the mound because of the injury, he had decided to forgo his final season on the gridiron.
He never truly left, though. Lone Peak coach Mike Mower referred to Corry's situation as being "deactivated," and as the season progressed, he finally couldn't sit any longer. He returned exactly one year later, in the quarterfinals against Jordan, and recorded 12 tackles and two interceptions.
"I don't think a lot of guys could really do that, but he's such a good athlete," Mower said.
His teammates didn't hesitate to welcome him back given his continued involvement in team meetings and non-contact practices, and because of the substitution pattern, nobody was displaced after his return. Now the entire program is benefiting.
Lone Peak (12-1) missed Corry's presence in a lopsided Week 3 loss against Bingham (13-0) — the Knights' opponent in the Class 5A championship on Friday at 2:30 p.m. at Rice-Eccles Stadium.
The Miners threw for a season-high 251 yards in that game — one of only two times they reached the 200-yard plateau. In the 12 other games, Bingham averaged 119 yards through the air.
"I think we've all improved in the secondary, but I think what Seth brings is confidence," Mower said. "They feel more comfortable as a defense having him there."
It's been a whirlwind journey for Corry, but ultimately his decision to return boiled down to love of the game. He understands the risks involved, but also realizes nothing is guaranteed and so didn't want to miss out on everything life has to offer.
"I understood why I wanted to play. I felt like something was missing," Corry said. "... I can't even imagine coming off the field against Bingham, with a win with my brothers, guys that I love. There won't be a better feeling in the world."
Twitter: @trevorphibbs —
About Seth Corry
• The Lone Peak defensive back returned in the quarterfinals after originally deciding to forgo his senior season on the football field, recording 12 tackles and two interceptions.
• Corry tore his ACL in the 2015 quarterfinals, which forced him to sit out during Lone Peak's loss in state championship and also significant chunks of his junior baseball season.
• Ranked as the No. 2 left-handed pitching prospect nationwide, Corry is projected to be selected in the first round of the MLB draft following his senior season.
Bingham vs. Lone Peak
P Class 5A Championship, at Rice-Eccles Stadium
• Friday, 2:30 a.m.