While talking with Jack Huber, I could only think about how it takes a few steps to get everything working after sitting for a while and how things I used to be able to easily do are now harder.

And I've never had a major injury.

Jack Huber, a senior wrestler and football player at ThunderRidge, has undergone surgeries for injuries to his shoulder, knees and chest.

Despite pain plus long rehabilitation stints, he kept grinding and qualified for the state wrestling tournament three straight seasons. He finished fifth at 182 pounds in the 2017 Class 5A tournament.

"The injuries started my sophomore year," he said. "I had to decide if I wanted to keep doing this because of all the money spent for the surgeries, and it was painful. I decided to stick it out, one more year, one more time."

Huber signed a letter of intent to wrestle at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo during an April 27 signing ceremony at ThunderRidge. He will join his brother Joe on the Mustangs' wrestling team. Joe Huber was a 2015 Ponderosa High graduate.

"A year ago, I didn't know if I would be able to wrestle," Jack said. "I didn't know with the surgery if it was going to work. I feel good now. I feel normal again."

No mercy for boys volleyball bid

Boys volleyball took a called third strike at the Colorado High School Activities Association's Legislative Council meeting on April 20.

The club-level Colorado Boys High School Volleyball Association and the CHSAA-sanctioned Tri-Peaks League prepared a proposal requesting that boys volleyball be sanctioned as a two-classification spring sport.

But, for the third time in recent years, a bid to have the sport sanctioned was denied when 54 percent of the 72-member council voted to not even open the classification and League Organizing Committee report for consideration.

Also at the meeting, a mercy rule for all levels of boys and girls basketball was considered by the council and approved by a 59-11 vote. If a team has a 35-point lead after three quarters, a running clock will start and only stop for timeouts, injuries and free throws.

In hockey action, Chaparral and Woodland Park will be added as new teams for the 2017-18 season.

Former swim coach honored

Former Littleton boys and girls swim coach Maurice "Stringy" Erwin will be one of six people inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame.

The 53^rd annual induction banquet, set for April 27 at the Denver City Marriott, is sold out and Erwin's family and friends have reserved three tables to honor the longtime coach.

The three-sport letterman at Litteton was a Lions coach for 46 years. He coached baseball and football in addition to swimming. His boys swim teams won seven state titles and the girls squads captured five state crowns.

Valor Christian quarterback Dylan McCaffrey will be honored as Boys High School Athlete of the Year.

Jim Benton is a sports writer for Colorado Community Media. He has been covering sports in the Denver area since 1968. He can be reached at jbenton@coloradocommunitymedia.com or at 303-566-4083.