Watching from the sidelines had never been part of Wauconda junior Luke Sickmeir’s athletic routine.
Since he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his upper-right arm in May and had four subsequent surgeries, however, there wasn’t anything he could do but wait.
Then the development Sickmeir had been yearning to hear came two weeks ago, when a scan taken earlier in the summer was reinterpreted by doctors.
“I wasn’t expecting to play at all,” Sickmeir said of football season. “I was waiting for my opportunity but thinking it would be next year. But when the news came, I was back in the gym the next day getting ready as much as I could. The first lift was scary, but now it’s getting better each day.”
Sickmeir had a great day Friday, getting snaps at wide receiver during Wauconda’s 45-13 Northern Lake County Conference win over Grayslake North on his home field.
“Before the game, I was very nervous,” he said. “But once I got into the game and lined up, I was ready.”
Ready not only to play, but also to contribute for the Bulldogs (4-0, 2-0). The 6-foot-4 Sickmeir made his presence felt early by catching an 11-yard pass from senior quarterback Jake Thorstenson on a comeback route. But his highlight came later in the first quarter when he high-pointed a pass, secured the ball and took it to the end zone for a 43-yard touchdown.
“I’ve never been so excited to score a touchdown in my life,” Sickmeir said. “Touchdowns usually don’t feel that good. I saw it in the air and knew I had to go get it.
“I’ve never had this much time off from any game, so to get a touchdown in my first game back of any kind in months gives me a lot of confidence.”
An elite two-sport athlete, Sickmeir typically doesn’t lack confidence, whether he’s on a baseball field or a football field.
But the blood clot, which came to light after Sickmeir’s arm became sore and numb over Mother’s Day weekend, and then being shut down for several months prompted internal questions about how he would physically respond.
Questions about his receiving ability were addressed Friday. But he missed an entire summer of travel baseball and has yet to pick up a bat or ball since May after hitting .488 through two-thirds of his debut varsity baseball season.
“It was weird because my body, for the most part, felt fine,” Sickmeir said of his largely idle summer. “It was really scary knowing that I’d have to work extra hard to get back to where I was originally. I felt like I was being lazy, but there wasn’t much I could do.”
Being unable to play took its toll on Sickmeir, particularly when the football team held scrimmages and his travel baseball team went to weekly tournaments.
“Those were some of the toughest times because I felt like I could be out there shining,” he said.
One thing that helped Sickmeir was support from family and friends. Although he couldn’t participate, he was a regular at football workouts and practices, which boosted his morale and kept him feeling engaged.
“He has been with us through all of this, and I’m incredibly happy for him, just with everything he’s had to deal with, and to be in the position he’s in right now is awesome,” Wauconda football coach Chris Prostka said. “As clearances came and appointments came, every step forward was great.
“We really weren’t expecting him back, but it happened. It’s been a daily process with him and him handling a difficult situation very well. He’s been very mature.”
Sickmeir’s presence on the perimeter figures to be a big addition to an already potent offense, which has helped the Bulldogs win by an average margin of 28 points in their first 4-0 start since 2022.
“As you saw tonight, he makes some things look very easy on the football field,” Prostka said.
Count Thorstenson among Sickmeir’s many teammates who are elated to have him back the lineup.
“On that touchdown, I literally threw up a jump ball, and he went up and got it,” Thorstenson said. “If you give him a chance to make a play, he will. With us adding him in, I’d hate to go against our offense.
“I’m excited to see where the rest of this year can go.”
So is Sickmeir.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.