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Rhodes(continued from page 24)By Christmas, he was able to startwalking without crutches. By January,he was rehabbing. When March rolledaround, he was able to start jogging toprepare for the 2010 season.“He was out there running and joggingand limping a little bit, but thenthe limp gradually went away,” saidGeiler. “By May, he wasn’t even limpinganymore. He wasn’t thinking about theinjury anymore.”Because Rhodes’ relatively quickrecovery was hastened by hard work,Geiler is anything but surprised.“He’s not a ‘rah-rah’ kind of loudleader; he just leads by example,” Geilersaid of Rhodes, who has a 3.6 GPA.“He runs his sprints, lifts his weightsand comes on time. He does everythingyou want a kid to do. (His teammates)see him, and (coaches) just hope theyfollow him.”Unfinished businessRhodes’ recovery was so complete andconvincing that he impressed the scoutsat the University of Illinois enough toearn a scholarship. He committed tothe Illini in late June.Rhodes can now focus on his unfinishedbusiness: making his mark as thenext great Independence tight end. ButRhodes said that won’t be accomplishedSportsby racking up individual accolades.“Last year when we lost to Butler, Ifelt like I’d let my team down,” he said.“I wasn’t there because I was on thesidelines. I told myself that as long asI stayed healthy this year and do what Iknow I can do, I feel like I can help myteam win a state championship.”The value Rhodes places on his ownperformance isn’t overstated, said Geiler.“We’ve got to have him in our offense,”Geiler said. “Our offense doesn’t reallywork without a tight end. He’s got to beable to block, catch the ball, run goodroutes. He may only catch four or fivepasses, but those are crucial.”While Rhodes said his knee is backto normal and he’s regained the strengthhe had before the injury, he admittedthere will still be some uncertainty untilhe gets hit for the first time in a game.“I’ve been hit before in practice, butnot at game speed,” he said. “I try toprepare myself mentally every day.”But even before he receives that firsthit, Rhodes said he’ll be thrilled to simplytake the field again.“I feel like it’s going to be a homecomingcelebration for me because Ihaven’t been around football for a longtime,” he said. “The first game of thenew season – at home – it’s going to bea big crowd. It’s going to be exciting andloud, and I’m going to be pumped andready for it.” qYour Home Sold in 99 Days or Less….GUARANTEED!Call us for a FREE andCONFIDENTIALstrategic evaluation and a proposalthat will best suit your needs.The Premier Team at RE/MAX Metro Realty7300 Carmel Executive Park Dr. Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 2822699 dayJeff Lynch 704-737-3404jefflynch@remax.netSteve Onisick 704-779-5108steveonisick@remax.netButler at Winston-Salem Mount TaborTime: 7:30 p.m.Last year’s records: Butler 15-0, 6-0 Southwestern 4A conference; Mount Tabor 10-4, 4-1Central Piedmont 4ALast meeting: In the highly anticipated 2009 season opener many thought would be close,homestanding Butler took a 35-14 win.Players to watch: Butler: sophomore quarterback Riley Ferguson, running backs JahwanEdwards, Deion Walker and Ronald Howard; Mount Tabor: quarterback Brad Morton,defensive tackle Chris Manns and defensive end/linebacker Matt TurnerThe skinny: Entering the season as reigning Class 4AA state champions and with questionsabout whether they can win without star quarterback Christian LeMay, the Bulldogshave developed an us-against-the-world mentality. It’ll be interesting to see just how muchthat extra motivation helps an already talented team when it travels to always-tough MountTabor. Mount Tabor’s defensive line is stout, but Butler might have the state’s best rushingattack with Edwards, Walker and Howard.– C. Jemal HortonMallard Creek at IndependenceTime: 7 p.m.Last year’s records: Mallard Creek 11-2, 6-0 I-MECK 4A conference; Independence 13-2,5-1 Southwestern 4ALast meeting: Independence beat the Mavericks 49-20 in the second round of the playoffsafter edging Mallard Creek 42-41 to open the season.Players to watch: Mallard Creek: quarterback Marquise Williams, guard Devin Flowers,cornerback Matt Browning, defensive ends Brent Spisak and Alex Glover; Independence:running back Nyjee Fleming, receiver Adrian Gamble, linebacker Jimmie Gipson, defensiveend Jebarrie CuffieThe skinny: Mallard Creek comes in as the favorite behind the play of Williams, a highlyregarded dual-threat quarterback. For the Patriots to again be successful, they’ll rely on theirdefensive line to contain Williams. Indy’s Fleming could be in for a big night himself, as theMavericks’ replace all three of their starting linebackers from last season. Whichever teamcan find balance with the passing game first should win.– Aaron Garciawww.matthewsminthillweekly.comThis Saturday at 7:15August 21, 2010Minor League BaseballMajor League Fun!BUY TICKETS ONLINEcharlotteknights.comMatthews-Mint Hill Weekly • Aug. 20-26, 2010 • Page 27