NORTHWOOD, Ohio — Nearly eight months after leaving a basketball court unable to speak, Kaden Cluckey is back and louder than ever.
"Very emotional," said the senior from Northwood High School. "I had a lot of emotions built up for the past 8 months."
On Dec. 2, Cluckey suited up for the Rangers in a season-opener against Gibsonburg at home.
"It showed me that the work paid off and proved to me that I can actually make something out of this," said Cluckey.
With 20 points and nine assists, he led Northwood to the program's first 1-0 start in five years. Simply playing in the game however proved a victory in and of itself.
"Knowing what he went through mentally and knowing the effect that has on the brain," head coach Brandon Thomas said. "Him being able to be tough, fight through that and then have the outing he had in his first game, wouldn't expect anything less."
Thomas, who works in mental health as well, added the importance of not putting too much on Cluckey's plate during recovery. Unlike other athletes who may have torn an ACL or broken a bone, this process required a different type of rehab.
"I had to get back mentally," Cluckey said. "It was a struggle, not being able to talk for two weeks or express myself while laying in a hospital bed was tough."
The injury he suffered, as WTOL 11 first reported back in April, took place during an AAU game. Cluckey attempted to take a charge underneath the basket when an opposing player accidentally elbowed him in the throat.
As a result, one of Cluckey's vocal cords got cut and he had to be airlifted to a hospital in Ann Arbor. There he underwent surgery and couldn't talk for ten days.
Not knowing what the end result would be, Cluckey leaned on support from all over.
"Friends that I haven't talked to in a long time were reaching out as well as families I haven't seen in a long time," Cluckey said. "Knowing that I had that support made me want to push even more."
Although the scar on his throat remains, the Defiance College commit continues to push forward and has returned to rallying the Rangers.
"He had a spurt where he hit two straight threes in a row. I mean, goosebumps and the whole crowd went crazy," Thomas said. "At that point, I think everyone knew Kaden's back."
Northwood will be back in action on Saturday, Dec. 9 to square off against Emmanuel Christian on the road.
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