Hammond, Columbia complete journey to title game

When Columbia (Hunters) football coach Chuck Wyborney saw Mitchell Hammond in the seventh grade, he didn’t think Hammond’s chances of helping the Lions on the field were great.

When he looks at Hammond, a senior, today, he sees a kid who has come a long way, worked hard and overcome a blow that would have decked most kids.

“He’s come a long ways,” said Wyborney, who also doubles as the school’s principal. “He doesn’t know this, but the staff this morning voted him the student of the month.”

Not only have Hammond’s study habits improved, so has his football work ethic. A couple of summers ago, he began working out with Chris Burch, who currently plays at Central Washington after helping Inchelium to State B-8 titles in 2000 and 2001. From Burch, Hammond absorbed the desire to play in a B-8 championship game.

He’ll quench that Saturday, when the third-ranked Lions (10-1) play two-time defending champion and top-ranked LaCrosse-Washtucna, winners of 34 consecutive games.

“It doesn’t matter whether we win or we lose, as long as we give it 100 percent,” Hammond said. “We’re going to get what we earn.”

Hammond’s journey to the title game was almost derailed last year when, playing in a non-league game against Soap Lake the week before playoffs, his leg was shattered.

Playing middle linebacker, Hammond was doing what middle linebackers do, running to fill a hole. As his legs crossed, he saw a blur, felt the hit and knew it was bad.

Helicoptered to a Spokane hospital, the news was bad. Doctors had to go through the knee to insert a titanium rod into the tibia (it’s still there) and two screws.

Hammond tried to play baseball last spring, failed because of the pain, tried to go to football camp in the summer, succeeded, but only at “80 to 85 percent,” then gave it another go this fall.

He’s played every game at middle linebacker and recently went back to end on offense. That’s not to say everything with the leg is perfect.

“There is still pain, even now there is,” Hammond said. “When it gets cold and stuff, man, that (stinks). I’m glad we’re playing in the Tacoma Dome, though, because it’s pretty warm in there.”