Central High School's Madison Rogers vividly remembers Oct. 17, 2014. It was the worst day of her life. And perhaps her best day, too.
On the downside, Rogers still is trying to cope with the thought that her prep basketball career came to a premature end because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament that fateful day. It happened during Central's powderpuff girls' flag football game, which was part of homecoming festivities.
But despite the injury, Rogers was at the football game that night as planned. She not only was a member of the homecoming court, she was chosen homecoming queen. Therefore, there was some joy to mask the day's sadness, at least for a while.
"It was unbelievable the emotions I felt that day. I was so extremely happy at that moment," she said of hearing her name announced as homecoming queen over the public-address system. "My grandparents came in from out of town and surprised me. I had no idea they were going to be there. I was able to win it, but I wanted to share the moment with my classmates, all my coaches and my parents. It was a great experience."
Being Central's 2014 homecoming queen lasts forever. But back in the here and now, Rogers is relegated to watching the Lady Purple Pounders' basketball games from the bench.
"We won the first game and I was very excited about that," Rogers said. "But I couldn't help thinking, 'I'm supposed to be out there. I'm supposed to have contributed.' I feel like I'm letting them down, like I'm the missing piece of the puzzle."
Rogers is the daughter of Central boys' basketball coach Rick Rogers and grew up the proverbial gym rat. She and her father were eagerly awaiting her senior season with the Lady Pounders.
"What really devastated me more than anything about the whole situation was that I didn't get to play my senior year because of my ankle," Coach Rogers said. "I wanted to have memories of her playing as a senior."
Dad was on the sideline at the powderpuff game that afternoon. He said the competition was beginning to wind down and thought about having her taken out of the game. But then he thought, no, being her senior year he wanted her to enjoy all that it encompasses.
Madison recalled the play.
"A girl was running at me with the ball," she said. "I planted my left foot so I could go in the other direction and stay with her. But when I turned, my foot stayed in the ground basically. I played soccer and not once did that ever happen. It just gave away that one time."
Rick immediately took his daughter to a hospital. After she was examined, he rushed her back to school, where a team of women went to work glamorizing Madison for the homecoming ceremony. Her biggest concern that night was that her knee brace might show beneath her dress as she walked with her crutches with her escort to her spot.
Surgery came 10 days later.
Madison's senior basketball season as a player was limited to one day -- an open-gym shootaround where she eagerly talked with classmate, friend and high-scoring point guard Sandrea Sylman about what they thought they could accomplish this season.
"I can't tell you how much she was a weapon," Central girls' coach Rick May said of his missing 3-point specialist. "It was crucial for other teams to have to put someone out there to guard her. That helped open the floor for Sandrea. She's the 10 to 12 points a game we're missing."
Instead of points, Madison's contributions now come as an extra set of eyes on May's bench.
"She sees things before they happen," May said. "Just like when she played, she knew her sweet spot on the floor, corner to corner, running that baseline."
Coach Rogers said once he realized his only child had suffered a season-ending an injury -- she's hopeful of getting an opportunity to play in college -- his thoughts began roaming. He recalled the father-daughter moments on road trips, at camps, in hotel rooms. It made him realize how temporal things can be.
"I've been really proud of the way she's taken it," he said. "It's not put a damper on her. That's what being a teammate is all about. Whether you can play or not, a teammate is there for her team. It seems like the girls have gotten closer."
Central (7-3) hasn't played since a 63-59 victory over Boyd-Buchanan on Dec. 22 in Hixson's Christmas tournament. The Lady Pounders return to the hardwood tonight at East Ridge, where they will try to improve their District 6-AA-leading 5-0 record.
The younger "Coach Rogers" will be there with her words of encouragement as they continue their quest to repeat as district regular-season champions.
She'd rather be playing.
"Everyone keeps telling me every day it will get easier," Madison said. "I'm still waiting on the first day it does."
Contact Kelley Smiddie at ksmiddie@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6653. Follow him at twitter.com/KelleySmiddie.