ROGERS — A third major surgery in six years ended Alex Moisson's playing career last fall.

But the setback didn't keep the Rogers High senior from being a key component for a Lady Mounties basketball team that will be making a ninth-straight trip to the Class 7A State Tournament next week. Moisson can't put points on the board, but she does just about everything else, from helping the coaches in practice, to running the scoreboard during practice, and keeping stats during games.

That hard work did not gone unnoticed as she was elected basketball homecoming queen by the Rogers boys and girls basketball players earlier this season.

"She wanted to stay connected, and be a leader," Lady Mounties coach Preston Early said. "She has done that, and that has had a positive influence on our team. There are not many girls you can train to do computer stats during a game because they don't know the game as well. She is as good as gold on stats, and that has been a time saver on the coaches."

Moisson overcame knee surgeries in the seventh and ninth grades and was poised to help the Lady Mounties basketball team this season. She had a strong offseason and Early was hoping for big things from the 5-foot-7 senior.

But all that ended on a date that Moisson will never forget.

"September 20, during jump training," Moisson said. "I kind of came down on my knee wrong. I didn't want to stop practice, so I kept going."

But she knew something was wrong and she finally stepped aside.

"Moisson is such an intense player, we knew we had a problem when she stopped practicing," Early said. "If she steps out, there is an injury."

Moisson thought she had a torn ACL, but it was worse than just a knee injury.

"Part of my femur broke off and got caught behind my patella," she said. "It just shredded everything in my knee."

Moisson, who is going to Baylor in the fall, wants to be an orthopedic surgeon and she knew that her playing career was over when she got the news. Surgery soon followed on Nov. 1, but she only missed one practice before returning to the team in her new role.

"It was probably the one of the hardest things I have gone through," she said. "I was really hoping to get some playing time this year. I missed Friday, but we had team pictures on Monday. I probably shouldn't have gone Monday, but I didn't want to miss team pictures."

Early said he never doubted that Moisson would return to the team. Once she was able, Moisson took on several roles with enthusiasm.

"We hated it for her that she doesn't get a reward for paying her dues for years, and then doesn't get an opportunity to play," Early said. "To her credit, she turned her focus to how she could be of service. One of the biggest pluses for us is having her positive attitude and energy. She got dealt a blow, and a weaker person, or selfish person, that would have been it for them.

"But Alex found a way to impact our team, and she has done that in multiple ways."

Sports on 02/27/2014