Cape Central’s Max Vogel reflects on long road back to court

Perseverance is an adjective widely used in the sports realm, and perhaps nothing sums up Max Vogel’s high school career more than this word.

During his junior year on the football field, unbeknownst to Vogel at the time, he tore his meniscus but continued playing, and as Vogel finished up football season, he wasted no time getting into basketball mode.

On Jan. 4, 2023, Vogel underwent an MRI, where it was revealed he had a complete tear of his meniscus and would require surgery.

“It just really sucked for me,” Vogel said. “It meant my junior season was over, and we were undefeated at that point, so it was really hard.”

After a surgery in late January of 2023, it took Vogel nearly five months to rehab his meniscus injury but he finally got his health to the point where he was ready to play in his summer slate of games.

“I was finally ready to play, and I had a tournament in Kansas City,” Vogel said. “I ended up doing really well, and I was excited. After that, I just kept grinding and working on my game before open gyms started for school ball.”

One of those aforementioned open gyms was the day after Vogel’s birthday, and it’s a day that will always stick with him.

“I went up for a loose ball, and I came down on someone’s foot,” Vogel said. “I looked down, and my ankle was turned sideways, and I just knew that all the work I had put in was gone just like that. I remember beating on the floor because of how angry I was.”

The diagnosis from that injury was a broken ankle and some torn ligaments, meaning Vogel would undergo his second surgery in just nine months.

“After all these injuries, my mind filled up with self-doubt,” Vogel said. “After injuring my ankle, I seriously considered not playing again because I didn’t know if my body could handle all that stress. All the work I put in over the summer and fall was just gone, and I wasn’t sure if it was worth it to go through that process again.”

Ultimately, Vogel’s love for the game was one of the driving forces in helping motivate him through recovery.

“Being injured and sitting on the sidelines made me realize how much I love playing basketball,” Vogel said. “Knowing that I want to play at the collegiate level helped motivate me to work harder than everyone else because after being out that whole season, I was already way behind everybody.”

Even today, as Vogel has made his way back into the Cape Central starting five, he still remembers the journey and the people involved in his recovery.

“I definitely remember my physical therapy team,” Vogel said. “Shoutout to Kelly and Kevin. They were awesome. They pushed me so hard because they knew how badly I wanted to get back. I also had the biggest support team in my coaches, teammates and family post-surgery.”

Maybe one of the biggest supporters of Vogel was Tigers head coach Drew Church.

“I love him a lot, man,” Vogel said. “He was always encouraging me and helping me to stay calm and always reassured me that things would work out. He was always the best person to talk to when I was feeling down. He helps me grow as a player and a person.”

After recovering from his broken ankle and being medically cleared, Vogel made his season debut on Dec. 15 at home against Farmington, a game in which the Tigers won 64-45.

“It was so awesome,” Vogel said. “I loved the feeling when my name was called in the starting lineup. It was my first game back playing for Cape Central in probably a year and a half. The environment was awesome.”

With Vogel now healthy and playing his senior campaign, he is still dealing with the aftermath of his two major injuries in the way of confidence that he is healthy.

“I really just have to take it day-by-day,” Vogel said. “On a team like this with super talented guys I’m just working to find my role and do whatever they need me to do.”