Comeback hopeful

Mike Sciacca

Alex Hickerson has found himself in an unusual spot this past month.

He has been walking the sidelines at Ocean View High football

games, not able to be out on the field with his teammates where he is

itching to be.

The senior and Seahawks’ starting quarterback, has been sidelined

since Sept. 19 with a hamstring injury. He went down on Ocean View’s

second offensive play in a nonleague game against Tesoro, which also

was the first game played in new Seahawk Stadium.

He suffered a second- to third-degree tear of his right hamstring,

he said, but no surgery was required.

“It was such a big night, too,” said Hickerson, 17. “But, I didn’t

feel a thing on the play. I remember my face being down by my knee

and I could hear some cracks and pops, but I didn’t feel any pain.

“I tried to get up but couldn’t. I thought right there that there

went everything, the things I had been working for every day, every

week, leading up to my senior year.”

Hickerson’s injury indeed was a blow to the Seahawks, who looked

to him as a team leader. Fellow senior Brett Burda, a starter at

defense back, has filled in admirably for Hickerson at quarterback.

Burda rarely misses a play on either side of the ball and gets

sideline encouragement from Hickerson.

“Alex’s leadership, regardless of his athletic ability, is what’s

been missed most,” Ocean View Coach Harold Eggers said. “Our offense,

and everything that goes on out there, is built around him.

“There’s no doubt how much we miss Alex, but Brett has done a

great job. He works his tail off and has taken on the responsibility

of trying to absorb the quarterback’s job.”

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Hickerson, a three-year varsity starter,

says he hopes to get in a few game snaps during Friday’s Golden West

League home game against Orange.

A doctor’s appointment scheduled for later this week will

determine if he’s been cleared to play.

“It’s been tough not being out there,” said Hickerson, who threw

for more than 1,700 yards and 13 touchdowns as a junior. He needed

nearly 1,300 yards this season to become the school’s all-time

passing leader.

“But it hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it’d be,” he said.

“I’ve adjusted to things and have been a cheerleader, coach -- you

name it -- on the sidelines. I’ve also worked hard to recover and

have the chance to play again.”

Hickerson has gone through regular physical therapy and even did

acupuncture in an attempt to mend his injury. He was away from the

football field, he said, the two weeks following his injury, before

returning to practices.

At Monday’s practice, he participated in a team walk through.

“That felt good,” he said. “I felt like I was ready to go but,

I’ll have to wait and see.”

Hickerson first played organized football as a freshman at Ocean

View. He played quarterback for the first part of the season, he

said, but was switched to defensive end for the remainder of the

season.

After that first year, he worked with a personal quarterbacks

coach and says his development as a quarterback is due to the

guidance of Randy Whitsitt.

Whitsitt, Hickerson said, has worked with quarterbacks at all

levels. Among those he has coached, is Baltimore Ravens quarterback

Randall Cunningham.

“Basically, he has shaped me into the quarterback that I am,”

Hickerson said of Whitsitt. “He’s taught me everything.”

Hickerson’s athletic ability, especially that as a passer, has

caught the eye of several Division I schools. The long list includes

the likes of Washington State, UCLA, USC, Wyoming and Wisconsin, with

the Cougars and Bruins still showing strong interest, he said.

“I figured some of the schools would back off when I was injured,

but they really haven’t,” he said. “I don’t know if I have dropped

down on their lists, in terms of recruiting, though.”

Hickerson’s hard work on his road to recovery has helped him

discover his drive to prove a point.

“My motivating goal has been to play again my senior year, and

there are five games left,” he said. “I just want to show everybody

that you can go through what appears to be a season-ending injury and

still come back and play. I want to get back on the football field

again.”

* MIKE SCIACCA covers sports and features. He can be reached at

(714) 965-7171 or by e-mail at [email protected].