When senior striker Cody Sanftleben was taken off the field late in the Kahoks 3-0 win Tuesday, the team and fans were hoping he could overcome the late-season injury in time to help the team in the post-season. Late Tuesday, Sanftleben was told that his high school career was over.

Luis De Anda will be asked to step-up in Sanftleben’s absence / Photo by Alex Paz
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A left shoulder injury will keep Sanftleben out for at least a month, he said. The state championship game is Nov. 9, meaning Sanftleben will not return to field regardless of how deep his team goes in the playoffs.

That the injury happened on senior night made it even more difficult, Collinsville Head Coach Myles Hensler said.

“For him to deal with that on senior night, on a special night for him, it was heartbreaking,” Hensler said.

Sanftleben scored the first goal of the match to push his team and Southwestern Conference leading total to 12. His 29 points are also tops in the conference. Sanftleben had been on a tear recently, scoring eight goals in the last seven matches. Collinsville was 5-2 during the stretch.

Teams have to deal with injuries and find ways to replace players, Hensler said. Sophomore midfielder Luis De Anda may take Sanftleben’s spot in the formation. The Kahoks will continue to look for strong contributions from senior forward Alex Lamoreaux, Hensler said.

De Anda has picked up his scoring pace recently, finding the back of the net four times in the last five contests. Lamoreaux has six goals on the season.

Sanftleben, who said he was “pretty upset” when the doctor delivered the news, will be on the sideline rooting for his teammates. He said he has no plans, currently, to play soccer in college.