Football takeaways: Bloomington North's Nate Hankins back on his feet

Nate Hankins felt something was wrong with his back during Bloomington North's Week 8 football game against Columbus North, but thought nothing of it as the rest of the game played out.

Bumps, bruises and minor injuries just go with the job of defensive tackle and this was just another nagging pain to deal with.

Then, on the final play, the Bull Dogs, backed up in their own end, desperately tried a couple of laterals. As the play was going on, Hankins was giving chase and ready to celebrate when the ball got away and was recovered by teammate Lucas Rice.

Then, in the aftermath of a huge sigh of relief and a huge 38-35 win, a scary scene unfolded as the 220-pound Hankins fell to the ground in the end zone not far from where Rice had been tackled to end the game.

"I had been kind of hurting all game and got short of breath at the end there," Hankins said. "Then I felt that pop and went down. Shooting pain down my leg."

He lay still as the trainers came over to examine him. Then the ambulance still sitting on the track was summoned. Hankins was taken to the hospital.

For a starter on an undefeated top-ranked team, a player who had ambitions to play college football, he had questions. Losing Hankins was not a blow the Cougars wanted to absorb. Not coming on the heels of a season-ending injury to defensive end Grey Hostetler.

"I was more thinking, did we win? What happened?," Hankins said. "Once that all got through my head, I was just worried about what was next. Getting back and how fast I could get back to the field?"

He needed a reason why first. Doctors determined it was a spinal issue, but beyond that? He had the feeling back in his leg. The family posted a picture of him giving the thumbs up from a wheelchair as he left the hospital and took on rounds of physical and occupational therapy to make sure he was good to return to the team.

"It was hard to tell what it was so they worked it the best way they could with PT and OT," Hankins said. "And I've just been working hard as I can to get back."

He missed Week 9, but was able to get back at it last week as North got to work prepping for its sectional opener on Friday, a rematch with rival South in a battle of top-three teams.

"It was everything," Hankins said. "I love these guys and all I wanted to do was play for them. I didn't want to let them down. I love the game of football, so I wasn't going to let it keep me down."

North needs all hands on deck and Hankins, No. 6 on the team in tackles (37), with 7.5 for loss and leads the team in quarterback hurries (10), is back to playing with abandon again.

"It was kind of a rollercoaster," Hankins said. "They told me a whole bunch of different things. I've just been working as hard as I could with PT and we have great trainers here that have gotten me back to where I am. Just take it day by day and don't take anything for granted."

Tickets for Friday

Tickets for Friday's North-South sectional game at North at 7 p.m. are available online only at https://www.bhsnathletics.com/Tickets. Price is $7 plus convenience fee. Everyone school aged or older must have a ticket. There will be no cash taken at the gates, which will open at 6 p.m.

All Sports Passes and teacher passes are not accepted.

Tough week for WIC

Just three wins were earned by the 11 Western Indiana Conference teams in their sectional openers, with one game featuring two members facing each other.

In 4A, Northview had its hands full with Brebeuf Jesuit, and vis-a-versa, as the Braves won a shootout, 55-50. Brebeuf led 42-28 with 6:10 left in the third when two TDs were scored just seconds apart on a 69-yard run by the Knights' QB, then a 50-yard return on an onside kick by the Braves that made it 49-35. The drama continued as Northview scored twice to take the lead, 50-49 with 5:14 left only to see Brebeuf score three minutes later. The Knights' last drive reached the 13 but time ran out.

In 3A, SIAC co-champ Vincennes Lincoln buried Owen Valley 54-0, scoring 47 points by halftime. Washington swamped West Vigo 46-7. In 2A, Sullivan fell at Southmont, 32-21 and Brown County. In 1A, Cloverdale had five turnovers in a 39-14 loss to Riverton Parke.

The lone winners were South Putnam in Class 1A with a 52-0 win over North Central, Indian Creek in 3A, 49-7 over Greensburg and in 2A, Greencastle nudged past North Putnam, 30-29, on a 36-yard field goal by Ian Williamson with 2:47 left. The two teams had just gone head-to-head in Week 9, with Greencastle winning 17-9. This time, the Cougars led 15-13 at half and then trailed 27-22 after three before going ahead 29-27 on a TD with just under nine minutes to play.

The Tiger Cubs will travel to No. 1 Linton while South Putnam plays host to the best team in its class, two-time defending champ Indianapolis Lutheran. Indian Creek is at Franklin County.

Around the area

Martinsville came back from Silver Creek with a 28-14 win and Bedford North Lawrence took care of Evansville Harrison 27-6. Both face best in Class 4A opponents with the Artesians playing host to No. 1 East Central and the Stars taking on No. 2 Evansville Reitz at home.

In 5A, Seymour is at Columbus East to fill out the rest of Sectional 15. In Sectional 14, both Terre Haute schools will start 5A sectional play at home with THN drawing Whiteland and THS taking on Franklin. Sectional 16 will be a tough fight as Evansville North's defense (13 ppg) faces a Floyd Central squad averaging 39 ppg. Castle, winners of three straight, will likely wait in the final after drawing a struggling New Albany squad.

Two CI teams are in 6A, where Southport is at Indianapolis Tech and Columbus North will be at home against winless Jeffersonville.

Contact Jim Gordillo at jgordillo@heraldt.com and follow on X (Twitter) @JimGordillo.

This article originally appeared on The Herald-Times: Football takeaways: Bloomington North's Nate Hankins back on his feet