From Foot Fracture Surgery to Oklahoma State Champion

No one ever expects an injury—especially not in the middle of a playoff run.

For Wick Kohmescher, a junior football player for Tuttle, the moment came suddenly. During the first round of the playoffs, he felt his foot give way. It didn’t hurt much at first, but something was wrong. An X-ray the next morning confirmed it was a Jones fracture. A notoriously difficult injury to heal because of limited blood flow to that part of the foot.

The initial prognosis was crushing. Surgery was required, and recovery timelines typically stretch 12–16 weeks. Wick was told his season—and his chance at a state championship—was over.

“I was really upset,” Wick said. “I’d never been injured through a football season in my life.”

A Chance, Not a Promise

Wick’s dad, Chad, wasn’t ready to accept that this was how the season would end. He searched for another opinion and connected with Ortho Central surgeon, James Bond, MD. Dr. Bond didn’t dispute the diagnosis. The injury was real. The surgery was necessary.

He couldn’t guarantee Wick would return in time for the state championship. He couldn’t control whether another opportunity like this would come along. What he could promise was that he’d do his best surgically—and that together, they’d see what was possible.

“Patients will surprise you,” Dr. Bond said. “Miracles happen. They really do.”

Surgery went smoothly. X-rays looked good. Remarkably, Wick never needed pain medication either—not even ibuprofen. Less than a week later, he was putting weight on his foot. 18 days after surgery, he was back at practice.

23 days after surgery, he suited up for the Class 4A State Championship against Elgin.

Championship Week

With Dr. Bond watching from the sidelines, Wick started the game on defense. He hadn’t played in nearly three weeks, but the foot held up. At halftime, he asked to play offense too.

Then came the moment no one could have scripted.

With under a minute left in the game, Tuttle trailed Elgin 20–16. In the huddle, a play was drawn up—one they’d never run before. Wick motioned out wide and took off in a full sprint. The quarterback led him perfectly. Wick leapt, secured the ball, and fell into the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.

The stadium erupted. On the Elgin side, silence. On Tuttle’s side, disbelief and joy.

From the sideline, Dr. Bond watched in amazement. Just weeks earlier, Wick had been on an operating table with no guarantee he’d return that season. Now he had caught the game-winning touchdown in a state championship.

“It was surreal,” Wick said. “Rarely in life does everything align like that. You just know it’s a moment you have to appreciate.”

More Than a Game

After the final whistle, Wick found Dr. Bond and hugged him.

“I told him I couldn’t be here without you,” Wick said.

Dr. Bond would be the first to deflect credit. “We did a good surgery,” he said, “but Wick did it. He had the heart, the determination, and the perseverance.”

This wasn’t just a football story. It was a reminder that outcomes aren’t always dictated by statistics or timelines. That compassion matters as much as skill. That belief—from a father, a surgeon, a team, and a community—can change what’s possible.

“Wick’s father said, ‘Tell me anywhere in the world that I can go to have the best treatment and I will take him there.” And quite honestly, I’m not being braggadocios, I think we have as good of treatment as anywhere in the world,” said Dr. Bond. “I know it. I know we provide the highest level of care that’s out there. That’s because Norman Regional has supported Orthopedics very well. They’ve supported the communities around us with trainers very well, and that’s all within our system.”

Team sports teach us that success is never achieved alone, both on the field and in the operating room. This championship took coaches, teammates, trainers, parents, fans, and a young man who refused to quit. It took a father who wouldn’t stop fighting for his son’s chance. And it took a surgeon and care team who matched medical expertise with empathy and faith.

“You can’t script it any better than that,” Dr. Bond said. “It was a storybook ending.”

And for everyone who witnessed it, it’s a story they’ll never forget.