South Hills High School wide receiver/defensive back Jamie Canada is scheduled to have knee surgery on Sept. 2 and may miss the 2010 season.
Canada, a junior, injured the knee earlier this offseason during a practice. An MRI revealed a torn meniscus, but it’s unclear whether there’s ligament damage. If there is, the surgery will include repairing the ligament and Canada will miss the season. If the procedure is just to repair the meniscus, Canada may miss only a month.
“It’s hard losing this kid,” South Hills coach Steve Bogan said. “You can’t make up for it, you just do the best you can. We’re going to move guys around and we have some good athletes, but obviously this kid is a phenomenal athlete.
“In the back of our minds, we’ll hope we have a miracle from heaven. We’re hoping it’s just meniscus.”
Canada was expected to be South Hills’ main deep threat on offense and a shutdown corner on defense. He transferred to South Hills from Duarte along with his brother Jordan Canada following the 2008 season, but both were ruled ineligible last season by CIF on grounds that the transfers were athletically motivated. Jordan Canada went on earn a scholarship to Montana, where he has already begun fall practice.
Aram’s take: Terrible news. If injuries keep this South Hills team from having the type of season its capable of having, then that will be a huge disappointment. Let’s hope that the it’s just meniscus and Jamie will be back in time for league. The Huskies still have excellent weapons in Jordan Gutierrez and Jamel Hart, so the offense should still be dangerous. But Canada takes things to another level.
