Can’t keep Wood off field

Lake City High’s Brandon Wood is a soccer freak.

The center midfielder once went back out onto the field and played after suffering a concussion in the early going.

On Tuesday, in his team’s first loss of the season – a tight 1-0 night match on the LCHS football field against fellow IEL unbeaten Coeur d’Alene – Wood suffered a bone-crunching collision in the 47th minute.

Eleven minutes later, he came back out onto the field and, though limping, was in on two plays that yielded excruciatingly close, potentially game-tying shots on goal.

He just can’t help himself.

When asked what is in him that won’t allow him to rest and heal when he obviously needs it, Wood is at a bit of a loss.

“That’s a good question – I really don’t know how to answer it,” he said. “I love to play the game, and when you’re out on the bench, watching your team suffering, you want to do everything you can to get in there.

“Last year, I mean, I had a concussion and I still went back out and finished the game. I don’t know if it was the smartest thing to do, but I did it.”

Tuesday’s match resulted in a loss, but it did not come without an important lesson.

“I’d say there is obviously room for improvement,” Wood said. “They outworked us – they wanted it more.

“Hopefully, that will – and I say it a lot – wake us up and we won’t be too big-headed.”

Wood remains confident in his team.

“I think we have a very good chance of winning the state (title),” he said. “We have the talent to do it. We just have to show up and play.”

Wood was turned onto soccer by a friend at age 6 and gave his family the bug – mom and dad coached his youngest sister’s Sting club team and his older sister played club ball and at LC.

It’s turned into a lifelong pursuit for Wood, who, when not working construction on the weekends, is making plans for what comes next.

“I definitely want to play at the college level,” said Wood, who would like to study architecture and business somewhere on a wish list that includes Gonzaga, Portland, Portland State and Chico (Calif.) State. “I don’t know how realistic it is that I’d make it at those schools, but you have to aim high.”