Cam Maslonka, Woodbury's strong safety and one the metro's elite defenders, has missed two games with a separated shoulder. He talked about how it's affected him.

How did your injury happen? I was going in to make a tackle and my shoulder was completely dislocated. I laid down on the field and the team doctor had to come and pop it back into place.

Talk about the pain. Unbelievable. Worst pain I've ever felt in my life. I was screaming when it happened. My teammates knew something was up.

How is it healing? It's feeling good now. I've been doing a lot of physical therapy. I want to play the rest of the season. I'll have surgery on it after that.

How difficult has it been to sit out? It's terrible. I can't describe how tough it is standing on the sidelines just watching.

Do you think it will hurt your college prospects? No. When the surgery is over, it will be six months with no contact, but after that, I'll be 100 percent.

You played lacrosse last spring and you've also run track. What is your favorite sport? Football. I played lacrosse last year because, in all honesty, I love to hit people. Football is my pride and passion.

Why football? I enjoy seeing a group of guys come together as a team of one. They might hang out in different groups in school, but on the football field, it's all one team.

What's the best part of a football Friday? I guess my favorite part is making a big play and seeing my teammates get excited and the fans get into it.

JIM PAULSEN