Angel Lopez began playing football in the 7th grade – but once he started high school at Mountain View – Birch Tree Liberty, something changed.
“He was serious about it in 7th and 8th, but in the 9th grade something just clicked,” said Angel’s stepdad Alvis Smith.
As a sophomore, Angel became an important piece to the Eagle’s defense.
“He really came on last year. He was one of our core guys, guys that we could trust every week,” said Liberty Head Coach Brock Kenaga.
“He just attacked the football and good for our line, just hard nose player and go after the ball,” added Kal Acklin.
Angel and the Eagles made it to the district championship game last season where a loss to Ava ended their season, but late in the third quarter Angel nearly lost so much more than a game.
“He collapsed,” Kenaga said “And whenever I got to the field he was still trying to fight and get up but at that point and time whatever had happened was already in effect.”
“He had a blood clot on the left side of his brain,” Smith said. “With the vessel being blocked and with the body building pressure it gave him two brain bleeds.”
Angel was airlifted to Cox hospital in Springfield.
“When we get there, we meet everyone and he’s in surgery already, and when the doctor comes out he lets us know it could go either way,” Smith said. “[In] 72 hours he’ll let us know if he’s going to make it or not.”
72 hours of waiting.
“We’re about to lose our world. We’re about to lose a piece of our world,” Smith said.
“For the next week, it’s pretty dark, it’s pretty dark.,” Kenaga said.
Angel spent the next month in a coma before being transferred to St. Louis, where he remained unresponsive.
He stayed in that coma for more than five months, until late April.
“I walked again and the nurse said ‘he followed you [with his eyes].’ I said ‘i didn’t see him he wasn’t doing that before.’ I just started walking, talking and he was following me. Everyone started going crazy,” said Angel’s mom Susana Miranda.
Angel had finally woken up.
“It’s like a weight being lifted off your chest. You could finally breathe,” Kenaga said.
After rehabbing all summer, he returned home in August where his team was waiting.
“Feeling of relief to know that he was back,” Kal said.
“It was definitely like bringing family home,” Kenaga added.
Angel now spends time with the team whenever possible, but is keeping his focus on beating the odds.
“For one [they said] he wasn’t going to last over 72 hours. Then they said he would never move his right side, pick up your right leg up [Angel picks up his right leg]. This kid was not built for backing down, he meets all his challenges head on and he will struggle it out,” Smith said.
It’s a struggle that’s far from over, but one that Angel continues to overcome.
