Injuries deny Jason and Drew Stark their 'once in a lifetime' chance to play soccer together at Elizabethtown

Jason Stark is walking with one crutch now. It’s a sign that he’s healing. That he’ll be back on the field someday.

The boys soccer season has come and gone. The chance for Stark to play alongside his younger brother is lost. That was always the hardest part. The one thing he knew he could never recover.

The Starks were supposed to help Elizabethtown take the Lancaster-Lebanon League by storm this fall. Jason was going to score goals from the wing and Drew was going to patrol the midfield.

Prior to this season, they never played together in high school. It turns out they never will.

Two injuries got in the way. Jason suffered a torn ACL, MCL and meniscus in his left knee during the preseason. Drew dealt with stress fractures in his back.

Elizabethtown vs. Ephrata - L-L League boys soccer — Buy Now

Elizabethtown’s Jason Stark competes against Ephrata during his junior season.
CHRIS KNIGHT

Jason never appeared in a game. Drew suited up for only two.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience getting to play with your brother,” Jason said. “It’s something that doesn’t happen a lot, especially at this level. It’s just really unfortunate.”

Drew made a bold decision prior to his junior year. He left the academy team at PA Classics in order to be eligible to play at E-town.

With Jason about to become a senior, Drew felt like a clock was ticking.

“I didn’t want to look back later in life,” Drew said. “I wanted to play with him. We always played together as kids. We always talked about it. It was our last opportunity. I thought it would be a good memory to have.”

Best laid plans

Jason wrecked his knee in the second preseason scrimmage against Lower Dauphin. It was a non-contact injury. He tried to turn and maneuver around a center back and believes his cleat got caught in the turf.

There was hope of a return at first. If the injury was only a sprain, Stark could have played in about a month. During the first game against Dallastown in August, his family received the results of an MRI. Torn ligaments meant there was no more hope.

There are moments that stick out in Jason Stark’s mind when he thinks about his senior season. They’re not the obvious moments. One of them is from the same day he was hurt.

Nico Houck, E-town’s left back, moved to left wing to replace Stark. Five minutes after the injury, Houck scored.

“I remember tearing up,” Jason said. “This kid was gonna be good. I could see myself in him. I knew it was going to be a good season. We weren’t going to have anything to worry about.”

E-town kept winning despite its misfortune. The Bears were Section Two champs, essentially clinching it on a last-second goal by Caleb Garcia against Lampeter-Strasburg. They were the L-L League runners-up and only dropped one game during the regular season.

The team’s success helped Jason Stark cope with being on the sideline. He became a cheerleader and a motivator. Someone to keep spirits light when times were tense.

E-town picked Stark, who scored 11 goals as a junior, as one of its captains. The players wore Stark’s No. 19 on the sleeves of their practice jerseys.

One connection

Drew was living his own nightmare as the days moved along. He was hurt during the summer, shortly before he planned to attend an MLS showcase. It was supposed to be a short-term problem. Maybe two weeks.

After five weeks of physical therapy for an apparent muscular injury, a scan revealed fractures. More physical therapy followed. Drew’s first season at E-town turned into a cameo.

Drew scored his only goal against Cedar Crest on Oct. 2. Jason wasn’t there to watch it. He was in surgery. It was that kind of year for the Stark brothers.

One can only guess what E-town could have achieved with its full roster in place. The Bears went 14-3-2 without two of their top players.

The Starks wonder about those same questions. Could they have won the league? Could they have made a run in districts? Qualified for states? How could they not wonder about those things?

“You don’t want to look back at it now because it’s just gonna keep spinning in your head,” Drew said. “But it does come across my mind all the time.”

Jason and Drew made one ceremonial connection on Senior Night. Jason was allowed to put on his uniform and kick the ball back to Drew, who promptly sent it out of bounds.

That was the unofficial end of their shared soccer journey. One that began when they were growing up in Maryland. Both have a deep appreciation for the game. It has bonded them for most of their lives.

“We were outside every day for hours,” Drew said. “Always playing. Always fighting. We’d come inside from the backyard with a different story. Trying to get mom or dad on our side.”

Jason wasn’t sure if he wanted to continue playing beyond high school. The injury changed his perspective. It made him feel like he had more to give.

Soccer owes Jason something. That’s how he sees it. The senior has committed to Lock Haven.

A lasting memory

After one of E-town’s victories, the players took their customary run across the field to thank the parents and fans for watching. The run took longer than usual.

“They all waited for me because I couldn’t jog over,” Jason said. “That was really emotional. This team has meant so much to me. To see everything they’ve done, I’ve been really proud of them.”

Drew said if he had to make the decision again, knowing all the bad luck that awaited him and his brother, he still would have left academy to play for E-town.

The Starks sat side-by-side for almost every game. They enjoyed spending one last season as teammates.

That’ll be a great memory. It’s just not the memory they were expecting.