[ad_1]
Radlinski, West Catholic, won big before arriving at Ford Field
Seven days before the Division VI football state championship game, West Catholic is coming off a win that’s better than Friday at Detroit.
Senior owner Jacob Radlinski announced that he is cancer free.
“It was pretty exciting,” Radlinski said. “It was good news for everyone and everyone in the hospital was excited and then I came home to the family, the team and everyone else excited. It was a good day.”
“Of all the wins we’ve had this year and the ones we’re going to get, this one means the most,” Falcons head coach Landon Grove said. “I’m getting goosebumps just talking about it now.”
Radlinski was an outfielder at West before his diagnosis. He was allowed to keep extra points and field goals before the season started.
Jacob Radlinski
His entire team and the West Catholic community wrapped their arms around him during his cancer journey.
“I knew this team was right next to me and behind me,” Radlinski said. “But it’s been great to see it and to have everyone by your side and support.”
They were able to remove the tumor from her chest with chemotherapy and she still has frequent check-ups, but the cancer is believed to have a very low chance of recurrence.
“Her strength through it all has been admirable,” Grove said. “I don’t know a stronger human being in this world than this kid. Going through chemotherapy, going through this year and still coming to practice with a smile on his face.”
The day after Radlinski’s good news, he and his Falcons teammates beat Clinton to clinch a spot in this week’s Division Six state championship game at Ford Field.
“It’s one great idea after another,” Radlinski said. “It’s really exciting, words can really describe it. The fact that one really good thing happens on top of another is really exciting.”
Jacob Radlinski
As much as his teammates have helped him get through a really tough time, he’s inspired them to accomplish great things on the field.
“It’s been a really good perspective for me as a young person and then for our kids and really our whole community in terms of what’s really important,” Grove said. “We can always remind ourselves that when we think it’s hard to work hard in football, remember what our boy is going through right now.”
West Catholic has won six state championships in football since 2010, but this is the Falcons’ first trip to the title game since 2017, when the current seniors were in seventh grade.
“No one in this room has done this before,” Radlinski said. “To bring it back and experience it myself, I know us as a senior class, we start as freshmen and we’ve built up every year since then to finally be back at Ford Field is a great feeling.”
For more scores, highlights and the latest news on West Michigan high school sports, go to the FOX 17 Blitz page.
Follow the FOX 17 Blitz on social media: Facebook – Twitter
[ad_2]
Source link
