Coming off an ACL tear, Hanover Central soccer star is shining once again
CEDAR LAKE, Ind. (BVM) — Savannah Ferry has been a soccer star during her time playing at Hanover Central High School. In her junior season, she was dominant. Through her first eight games, she scored 24 goals, aspiring to lead her team on a deep postseason run. But it was in that eighth game in late September when everything would change.
Ferry was shining at the start of her junior campaign, scoring goals at a rapid pace while becoming a leader on her team. But just three minutes into the eighth game of the season against rival Lowell High School, Ferry’s knee would buckle.
“I don’t know how to describe it other than that the top of my leg and the bottom were just disconnected,” Ferry said. “I couldn’t change positions or plant my foot and do a turn.”
While she felt something was wrong, Ferry was determined to continue playing. She would soon be taken out, but was cleared to return to the game by athletic trainers on the sideline. However, shortly after she took the field again, Ferry got the ball, tried to turn, and fell to the turf.
The next day, the soccer star’s knee was swollen, so her father rushed her to urgent care. After waiting on MRI results for a few days, Ferry found out some of the most devastating news of her career — she had torn her ACL.
“My heart just broke,” Ferry said. “It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to hear.”
Thankfully, Ferry’s meniscus was not torn as well, but nonetheless, she faced a long recovery to get back on the field. Her surgery occurred a little over a month after the tear in November. Immediately after, she was determined to get back to playing the sport she loves.
While Ferry grew up playing basketball — and still does in high school — she was always around the game of soccer, watching her older cousins play. She quickly grew to love the competitiveness of the game as she played during her youth. By middle school, she joined Eclipse Select Soccer Club, where she realized she had a special talent within the sport.
Ferry has since joined NWI Lions United, who she continues to play for today. The 18-year-old came to Hanover Central admittedly intimidated as a young freshman, and also changed positions from midfielder to forward. But still, Ferry would score double digit goals in her first prep season.
Becoming more confident as a sophomore, Ferry began to learn under the senior leadership on the team. She also continued building a relationship with coach Jim Pattison, who has meant a lot to her throughout her career as a Wildcat.
“Coach Jim has always been very special because he’s not just a coach, but also a father figure to all the girls,” Ferry said. “He always had a smile on his face and is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. But at the same time he pushes as hard as he can and knows what I’m capable of which is part of the reason I’m doing so well. He was always there for me during my journey of recovery.”
By junior year, Ferry had taken her game to a new level. But after her devastating injury, it was fair to question if she would be able to get back to that level of play anytime soon. However, Ferry’s recovery process was very smooth, as she worked hard every single day to get back as soon as she could.
She began by doing physical therapy three times a week, and had full range of motion in the knee just a month after surgery. By the time she was cleared to lift weights, Ferry would be at the gym four times a week. While she made sure to not over do it, the soccer star was back on the right track.
Of course, Ferry’s gym would be shut down due to COVID-19 in March. But her dad — who she credits as a big reason for why she made it back so quickly — created a fitness program for Ferry to work on every day in the family’s basement.
Remarkably, by July 15, Ferry was back on the soccer field for NWI Lions. While she felt good about where her leg strength was at, there was still a mental hurdle for Ferry to overcome while on the field.
“I worked really hard and I knew how strong my leg was again,” Ferry said. “But the mental part of coming back was probably the worst. When it first happened I had all these negative thoughts flooding my mind and it was really hard to get over those. There were always those what-ifs, and those never left my mind. But once they did, I knew that was all that was holding me back.”
Once Ferry returned to the field, all her fears disappeared. She was mentally and physically strong once again, and ready to get her soccer career back on track.
So far in her senior year at Hanover Central, Ferry has helped lead her team to a 6-2 record. She has matched her torrid scoring pace from junior year with 24 goals already, and the strong start to the season gives her a chance to break the program’s all-time goal record. Currently, Ferry sits at 79 goals, just 12 off of the record mark of 91, set by Blayr Poston.
While she is already proud of how far she has come in her return from injury, breaking the program scoring record would be an incredible achievement that was unthinkable at various times during her high school career. It would also add to the legacy the 18-year-old hopes to leave at Hanover Central.
“I really do think I can break the record and that’s what I’ve been working so hard for this season,” Ferry said. “I really am proud of how far I have come from a year ago, being broken-hearted and almost giving up on my soccer career. I didn’t see myself in the position I am today a year ago. I’ve always wanted to be a player that younger girls look up to and also inspire people. To have an opportunity to leave an impact on so many girls is a big deal for me.”
Ferry is also enjoying her senior year in part because she is getting to play with her sister, Skylar, who is a freshman at Hanover Central.
“My sister and I are really close and it’s so special to be able to play with her in my senior year,” Savannah said. “She’s always pushed me but was there along my recovery as well. I know what she is capable of and I push her too. It’s just special to have that connection out on the field and we both know how much we mean to each other.”
Although basketball is Skylar’s main sport, Savannah believes her younger sister will continue to follow in her footsteps and have a big impact on the Hanover Central soccer program over the next few years.
Savannah will look to play soccer at the collegiate level beginning next year. Tiffin University is the current favorite to land the Hanover Central star, but she will continue to keep her options open for now.
No matter where Savannah plays in the future, she hopes to stay healthy first and foremost, and wants to make an immediate impact on her team. Off the soccer field, the 18-year-old plans to major in business management, while minoring in psychology.
Savannah has a bright collegiate future ahead of her, but beyond college she hopes to coach soccer or perhaps even play overseas someday. Wherever her future takes her, the Hanover Central senior has a comeback story that not only she can be proud of, but also one that everyone can be inspired by.
