Serving the High Plains
Serving the High Plains
Logan eighth-grader Ace Whitson, shown in a still from a New Mexico Activities Association video, goes on a pass-receiving route at the team's practice field.
The New Mexico Activities Association last week featured a Logan student-athlete who is playing football in spite of a partial amputation of his leg after an accident last summer.
The NMAA posted a two-minute video about Ace Whitson, an eighth-grader who's on the Longhorns' varsity roster.
Whitson suffered the severe injury to his lower right leg in May 2020 while helping build a fence on his family's ranch.
"I knew my leg was broken for sure, but I wasn't 100% sure what had happened," he said in the video. "They had tried to save it. They had done surgeries and everything, and they told us I was going to have to get it amputated."
Whitson had played football and basketball before his leg was amputated below the knee, and he was determined to stay active.
Using a sports prosthetic limb during practice and in games, he said learning to find his balance was the biggest challenge.
"Whenever I started to get the hang of it, it was really easy," he said.
The video shows Whitson going through receiving and pass-rushing drills at practice.
"He's a great motivation for this team because he's a kid who comes out here every day, gives everything," Logan head coach Dwayne Roberts said. "You can say he's got a handicap, but I don't think he's got a handicap because it hasn't slowed him down. He comes out here with the same heart, tries hard every day ... great kid, great attitude."
Roberts said Friday an NMAA crew filmed the footage at Logan's practice field about two weeks ago.
Whitson generally plays offensive guard and defensive end in the second string. He also scored a rushing touchdown during a regular-season victory against Cloudcroft, Roberts said.
Whitson was asked whether he had any advice from his experience.
"You can never give up, to always try your best," he said.
The video can be viewed at https://youtu.be/
lh6C3Lc97GI.
Roberts said Whitson wasn't at the Longhorns' 24-18 home playoff victory Friday against Magdalena due to prior family commitments. Logan will play at No. 1 seed Tatum in the state eight-man football semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday.