Senior Dylan Penick of Logan County High School has been named to the latest edition of tomleachky.com “All-Resilient Team,” which honors student-athletes from Kentucky high schools who had to overcome adversity to participate and/or excel in sports in the past calendar year.
Penick has rehabilitated from two serious knee injuries to return to Cougar baseball this spring. He was the starting pitcher in the regional baseball finals in his sophomore season of 2017, but the blows to his knees almost ended his sports career.
Leach’s list honors athletes like Penick who have persevered on high school athletic fields when it would have been easier to end their athletic careers.
“We have another amazing collection of inspiring young people from all across the state. I am always amazed at what some of them had to deal with in order to just participate in the sports they love,” said Tom Leach, voice of the Kentucky Wildcats radio network.
Nominations are sought through the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association and media sources. “We may reach a point where we get so many nominations that we have to go through a formal selection process but it’s a tribute to ADs association that they make the commitment to handle our group each year, no matter how many,” Leach said. “We also honor these kids with the ‘salutes’ on ‘The Leach Report’ radio show throughout the year.”
LCHS Athletic Director Greg Howard’s nomination for Penick appears below.
This is the third time a Cougar football player has been similarly honored. The first two came as Game Guy Awards from the Kentucky High School Athletic Association. The first was Sonny Gloyd, who fought back from life-threatening cancer to return to the football. That came in the 1980s. The second was Frank Harris Dockins in the early part of this century after he resumed playing following receiving a kidney transplant via donation from his mother, Sharon Dockins, who was an LCHS teacher.
This year’s Resilient Team will be honored at the Kentucky High School Athletic Directors Association annual banquet on April 25..Here is this year’s list of honorees:
TJ Richardson, St. Francis High School
Jasmine Ward, Ft. Campbell High School
Rylee Austin, Raceland High School
Dylan Penick, Logan County High School********
Grace Hardy, Bourbon County High School
Esmond Morris, McCracken County High School
Makenzie Burns, Mercer County High School
Benjamin Spratt, Grant County High School
Keeton Burnside, Danville High School
Anthony Franklin, Bryan Station High School
Mia Ying Wright, Hopkins County Central High School
McKensey Bunch, Tates Creek High School
Stewart and Cameron Cooper, Butler Traditional High School
Isaac Dowdy, Hopkins County Central High School
Kasia Parks, Frederick Douglas High School
Audrey Rawls, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School
Andre Green, Lexington Christian High School
Greg Howard’s Nomination Form
For
tomleachky.com’s – 2019 ALL-RESILIENT TEAM
Date of Nomination: January 3, 2019
Athlete’s Name: Dylan Penick
School: Logan Co. H.S.
Sport(s): Football & Baseball
ACHIEVEMENTS/AWARDS/SIGNIFICANT STATS:
Fall Football 2017
Dylan played in 9 football games before his injury. He started all 9 games at free safety on defense and several positions on the offensive side. Dylan had 37 tackles, 15 tackles for a loss, 2 fumble recovers, and 10 pass break-ups. Dylan rushed for 2 TDs and caught one pass for a TD.
During a playoff game this fall, Dylan never thought he would play football again. During the 1st playoff game, Dylan was informed he would need to get dressed, he would be playing. He was in disbelief as he was putting his uniform on.
His doctor gave permission for him to play one snap without contact. The opposing team’s coach agreed, after hearing Dylan’s story, to let him score a two-point conversion without being tackled. Dylan played football his senior year!
Spring 2018 Baseball
Dylan came back and played in 11 games. Dylan had 32 plate appearances, .310 Batting average, 6 singles, 2 doubles, 1 HR, and 6 RBIs. He pitched 5 games-2 wins, 0 losses, 1 save, 20 K’s, and a 3.65 ERA. Dylan helped the team to a 24-9 record, 13th District Championship, and a 4th Region Baseball Runner-Up.
ADVERSITY THAT WAS OVERCOME:
In October 2017, Dylan tore his right ACL and meniscus during a football game. October 31st he had surgery to repair his injury successfully. After many weeks of therapy, he was finally released to play baseball in April of 2018. During this time he was restricted to no field play but was allowed to pitch and DH.
After his junior year of baseball, Dylan continued playing summer ball and preparing for a great football season his senior year. On June 5, 2018 he re-tore his right ACL and meniscus while making a normal play on a ground ball. In July he once again had surgery to repair both. Dylan was again going forward with a smile on his face as he began the grueling process of rehab. He would stay on pace but would miss his senior season of football on a team that went 10-2 while breaking all kinds of school records.
In early October, Dylan was released for limited activity and is now pursuing his dream of having a very successful senior season and a possible baseball scholarship.
Those of us that witnessed the tragedy of such an injury, not once, but twice, to an outstanding student-athlete stand in awe. Dylan has never once shown any sign of disgust, but always looking past the arduous task of rehab, but to the end result of being on the field with his teammates. His desire to be great through both incidents has set a very good example for adults and students. What Dylan has accomplished, and the positive way he has approached his adversity, has been truly amazing to watch. He is our hero.