By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Playing for a state championship is something every high school athlete dreams of.
Hayden senior Finn Dunshee has rushed for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns entering Saturday's Class 3A state championship game despite missing five full games with an injury. [File photo/TSN]
And no athlete feels more blessed to get that opportunity than Hayden senior star running back Finn Dunshee, who will help lead the 12-0 Wildcats into Saturday's 1 p.m. Class 3A title game against 12-0 Cheney at Hutchinson's Gowans Stadium.
"I'm just happy to be here,'' the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder said. "I wouldn't want to be here with any other team, these boys are great. It's really just pure joy.''
That joy was heartbreak just a few weeks ago after Dunshee suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his knee early in Hayden's Week 5 district game against Perry-Lecompton.
"It was just a normal sweep, our bread and butter, and someone was being blocked downfield and he got off his block and he pulled me down from behind,'' Dunshee explained. "I just kind of got spun around and landed on it wrong and it just went.
"I could feel that something wasn't right in my knee. I think I stayed in for one play and then I came off. It was a complete tear.''
Dunshee's initial fear was that his senior season was over.
"At first the doctor said I'd be done, so I'm just happy to be out here and have gotten another chance,'' Dunshee said.
Eventually Dunshee said he was given an eight-week timetable, but after just six weeks of diligent physical therapy he was back on the field for limited duty in Hayden's state quarterfinal win over Parsons.
"I've just been PTing the whole time,'' Dunshee said. "I've been going to Rebound (Physical Therapy) pretty frequently and that really helped. I was ahead of schedule and MCL is the best thing you can tear if you're going to tear anything.
"The doctor said I was pretty lucky that I only tore my MCL because usually when you do it you tear a couple of other things with it and that's a couple of months right there.''
Dunshee was ready for a more extensive role in last week's state semifinal game against Holton and responded with a huge night in the Wildcats' 42-14 romp.
Dunshee broke loose for a 65-yard touchdown run on Hayden's first play from scrimmage and finished the night with four touchdowns, rushing for 129 yards and two TDs on 13 carries and catching a pair of passes from Connor Hanika for 34 yards and two scores.
"We were pretty much playing it by ear the whole time,'' Dunshee said about his return. "I knew I wanted to be back for that Holton game at least.''
Despite missing five full games Dunshee has rushed for 821 yards and 14 touchdowns on just 48 attemps (17.1 yards per carry) and has caught 11 passes for 203 yards and three TDs (18.4 yards per catch).
Hayden senior star Finn Dunshee is relishing the Wildcats' undefeated run to Saturday's Class 3A state championship game. [File photo/TSN]
And the reigning 4A 100-meter dash champion said he's at full speed for Saturday's state championship game, even joking about the knee brace he was wearing.
"I'm 100 percent,'' he said. "I'm just wearing (the knee brace) because it looks cool. It feels fine, honestly.
"I got lucky. I got to come back and that means a lot.''
