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.