WEST FARGO – Doctors told West Fargo Sheyenne senior Charley Weber three years ago that he might not play sports in high school again.
That's not what an athlete who played football, basketball, wrestling and track and field wanted to hear. But it was his reality.
Until now.
Weber suffered a brain injury his freshman year after falling off a snowmobile he was riding with a friend. Weber survived the injury but had to relearn simple tasks, like walking and talking. Sports seemed out of the picture during the rest of his time in high school.
But Weber worked to get back on the wrestling mat, and he's back for his senior season and the inaugural Sheyenne Mustangs wrestling team's season. The new team was the motivation he needed to plead with doctors to clear him to wrestle.
ADVERTISEMENT
"I wasn't going to (wrestle), but when I heard we we're gonna open a Sheyenne program, I'm like, 'All right, I'm going to ask the doctors," Weber said.
"The worse they can say is no. They're probably gonna say no," Weber recalled thinking at the time.
Weber went all-out in his efforts to get back on the mat. He even prepared a PowerPoint presentation on his smartphone to show to doctors, listing the reasons he should be cleared.
Weber's doctor said yes.
"I flipped," Weber said. "I was so excited."
One of the reasons Weber was excited was his coaches were family friends of the Webers. Mustangs head coach Lex Lunde and his older brothers Lane and Logan Lunde have known Weber for a long time.
"Wrestling with the Lunde brothers as my coaches, I mean, we go way back. They were my babysitters back when I was a kid," Weber said. "It's just kind of special to be able to come back senior year and wrestle for the people I know."
Lex Lunde said he was very pleased with the news that Weber would be back.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When I got the news from Michelle, his mom, I got chills," Lex Lunde said. "I know they're very cautious and nervous about things. We're doing everything we can-we've got head gear, he's got a facemask."
Lunde said Weber will make a big difference for the program that lacks any other upperclassmen.
"I'm excited for him, and so is he," he added.
The last time Weber wrestled was his freshman season at the Rumble on the Red wrestling tournament in 2012, when he was on the Packers wrestling team. Weber is just getting back on the mat, but he is far from out of shape, he said.
"I've been wrestling my whole life," Weber said. "Yeah, I haven't touched a mat, but I've been working out. I've been lifting, I've been running, I've been doing a lot of things to stay in shape, just in case this happened."
His first bout will be a dream come true, one that he had since he began his long recovery from his accident.
"When I first woke up in the hospital, I was like, 'All right, docs, when can I get back on the mat, when can I play football again,' " Weber said. "They were saying that football was not going to happen."
Weber said he came to terms with the fact he wouldn't play football again, but when they told him he couldn't wrestle, he had a bit more of an emotional response.
ADVERTISEMENT
"When they told me wrestling is not going to work out, I honestly cried," Weber said. "Wrestling is such a big thing in my life. But now I've got it back and I'm really proud of that, and I'm ready to make things happen this year."
Weber said he isn't pleased with only being able to wrestle. He wants to win an individual state title. He said he doesn't consider himself disadvantaged, and plans on being one of the best wrestlers in North Dakota this season.
Weber said he was also cleared to play baseball and do track and field this spring.
