(Perry quarterback Austin Nightingale looks for running room in a game last season. Photo by Mitchell B. Reibel/maxpreps.com)

Perry quarterback Austin Nightingale wasn't sure he had a viable athletic future 11 months ago. It's easy to follow his reasoning after the injury he suffered in the Pumas'  fifth game of the 2013 season.

Perry was facing Mountain Ridge in a Thursday night game in front of the home fans. Nightingale busted off a run on a scramble on the home side during a two-minute drill just seconds before the end of the first half. As he absorbed a high hit at the sideline boundary the initial thought going through the minds of coaches was a concussion.

Austin's father, Louis Nightingale, was in the press box. He's Perry's offensive coordinator. Concussion registered first, but only for a fleeting second or two.

"I had the (head) phones on in the box, but just after he was hit I could hear him yelling," Louis Nightingale said.

The aftermath was not a concussion. It was Austin's left knee/leg. A torn anterior cruciate ligament, torn meniscus and broken femur were the result. A season-ending mishap to be sure, but as time passed there was more damage than expected.

"When I got hit my left leg was planted," Austin Nightingale said. "I felt something, and it hurt."

A week to two later Austin underwent surgery to repair the ACL. While doing the repair, his surgeon discovered about 75 percent of the meniscus was ripped out. The odd nature was it occurred on the outside of the knee, not the inside. That's not often the case in a meniscus tear. The pain felt and scream Austin let out after the impact was due not to the ACL, but the obliteration of the meniscus.

"They told me they could do another surgery, but it probably wouldn't be good to do it," Austin Nightingale said. "There was something they could try where they graft and try to regenerate."

As for the broken femur, Louis Nightingale described it this way. "It was like dropping a bowling ball on concrete. You wouldn't notice anything on the surface, but below there was some crushing. That healed with time."

The reply to further surgery with regard to the meniscus was no thanks. The realization of what the injury entailed was processed and Austin set sail on rehab -- albeit with tunnel vision.

"The big thing once I knew all that had happened, I was motivated to work hard to get back," Austin Nightingale said. "I had to throw out thoughts that I might not be able to play again or get a chance to play in college. It's motivated me."

Louis Nightingale and Perry head coach Preston Jones have noticed Austin's resolve.

"Austin's been a hard worker since Day 1," Louis Nightingale said. "Right after it happened we were walking around in shock... But he's moved forward and has been serious about his therapy and rehab."

Jones was relieved and complimentary of Austin's will to get back.

"The injury was nasty," Jones said, recalling standing next to his fallen QB a minute or two after it happened. "I wasn't sure if he'd be able to get back (senior year). But he's back, and he's doing great."

Austin's drive to rehab and recover was over the top in a way. Jones and other staff members took note and met with Austin to offer some perspective.

"He was so focused on getting back he was alienating himself from the team," Jones said. "He didn't realize it. We wanted him to get back and do what he needed, but with us. We needed his leadership for the younger players and all his teammates."

Message received.

"I was very focused on myself," Austin Nightingale said. "That woke me up a little. I saw the rehab I was doing in a different way. I was falling away from the team."

The prognosis for Austin's recovery was six to eight months. By February he was working out with the track team. That was 4 1/2 months after surgery. He continued doing physical therapy for the first six months and essentially was back full bore on the early side of the recovery timeline.

As Perry prepares for its season opener on Aug. 29 against Sunnyside, Austin Nightingale believes he's 100 percent. He's not wearing or feels he needs a brace. The aftermath of rehab may have even made hima tad football quicker. At the time of Austin's injury (4 1/2 games), he'd completed 67 of 100 passes for 833 yards, six touchdowns and thrown three interceptions. He also had rushed for 369 yards and four TDs in that span.

"He's real lucky," Jones said. "At the same time, he's worked his butt off to get back. He's shown real leadership."

Perry struggle last year in its first year competing in Division I. When Perry tangled with Mountain Ridge last year, the Pumas were 2-2. They were in a tight game with Mountain Ridge when Austin Nightingale went down. They went on to lose, 45-26, and dropped their final five games to finish 2-8. They didn't record a win in section play with Hamilton, Chandler, Basha, Highland and Gilbert. In those final five games they scored just 20 points and were shutout three times. Four of those schools qualified for postseason.

Nightingale is eager to try and rectify a nightmare season for himself and the Pumas.

"I'm comfortable, feel good and am really pumped about the season," Austin Nightingale said. "We think we have a chance to go to the playoffs. That's the goal."