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By David Boyce  |  Northwest Football vs. Central Oklahoma  |  Saturday, Oct. 7  |  1:30 p.m.  |  Bearcat Stadium
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MARYVILLE, Mo. - A little over a minute left in the second quarter at Fort Hays State in the 10^th game of the season last year, Shawn Bane Jr. received a punt and returned it 25 yards near midfield.
 
Bane put the Bearcats in position to add to their 14-0 lead in a defensive struggle. But Bane was slow to get up. Two teammates quickly carried him to the sideline. It appeared he suffered a knee injury.
 
But the competitor in Bane wouldn't allow him to believe it. Several minutes after his teammates ran into the locker room, Bane was still on the field, trying to prove to himself he had not suffered a severe injury.
 
Who could blame him? After his first season in 2015 that saw him earn MIAA Freshman of the Year and First Team All-MIAA, Bane was having another stellar season with 10 touchdowns and 707 receiving yards.
 
As it turned out, Bane's season was over. He suffered a knee injury that prevented him from playing in Northwest's second straight postseason run to a national championship. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Bane remained upbeat.
 
"I definitely had to be positive for my teammates and show them I am still supporting them no matter what," Bane said. "I have always been a positive person.
 
"When that struck me, I was motivated. If anybody can come back from this, it is you. If you are thinking positive and doing positive, positive will come to you."
 
Expect Bane to bring that same attitude Saturday afternoon when Northwest, 5-0 and ranked No. 1 in the AFCA top 25, takes on Central Oklahoma, 2-3, at 1:30 p.m. at Bearcat Stadium on Military Appreciation Day.
 
"Since I have been here, it has always been a huge thing," Bane said. "They pay their dues so we should pay ours by simply giving them a good game and playing for them."
 
While playing a football game is nothing like fighting for your country in a war, a soldier could appreciate the grit Bane showed in the face of adversity last week in Northwest's thrilling 24-20 victory over Central Missouri in the Fall Classic at Arrowhead.
 
With 34 seconds remaining and Northwest trailing 20-17, the Bearcats had one timeout and limited opportunity to score. Northwest opened the 68-yard, game-winning drive with a 14-yard reception to Bane.
 
 "That first catch was huge because it got us positive yards," said Northwest wide receiver coach Joel Osborn said. "It got us a first down. After what had just happened, he got to see himself catch the ball again."
 
Earlier in the game, Bane dropped what would have been a 45-yard touchdown pass on the previous drive that would have given the Bearcats a 24-13 lead with just under 4-minutes left.
 
Bane wasn't finished with redeeming himself. On the next play in the improbable, last-second drive, Bane caught a 47-yard pass that put the ball at Central Missouri 7 and set up the game-winning touchdown from quarterback Zack Martin to wide receiver Jordan Bishop.
 
"I had laser focus," Bane said. "I dropped a pass earlier because the football was in the lights so long that by the time I picked it up, it was too late."
 
The throw for the 47-yard reception was similar to the one Bane dropped.
 
"Shawn did a great job of bursting by the kid and made a catch that looked easy to people, but it is not when there are over 10,000 people in an NFL stadium where lighting is different," Osborn said. "He made a huge play to get us in position to score a touchdown."
 
Before Bane stepped on the field for the critical drive that extended Northwest's winning streak to 35, he took a moment to reflect on the play. His teammates helped him through it.
 
"I was kind of down on myself," Bane said. "All my teammates came up and said, 'hey man, we know what you can do and what you are capable of. Pick your head up.' They broke it down for me. They reminded me of all my training and all the extra hours I put in. That woke me up. I was making it complicated when it wasn't. I was standing by the Gatorade looking at the fans, and that is when I made up my mind and said come on."
 
At the midway point in the season, Bane shows no signs of the injury he suffered last November. He has caught seven passes in each of the previous three games and gone over 100 yards in the last two games.
 
Much of that success goes to the way he attacked his rehabilitation of his knee injury, which is sometimes a grueling and lonely process in the training room.
 
"If you ask our trainers, he never missed a rehab session," Osborn said. "He had a positive attitude the whole time. He was way ahead of schedule. The fall camp you could tell right away he was a difference maker like he was the previous years.
 
"He did a great job of fighting through some things with his knee. More recently, you can tell he is starting to get separation and making some huge plays for our football program."
 
Osborn, who played quarterback at Northwest from 2005-08, is still young enough to understand how difficult it is for a player to suffer a season-ending injury just before the playoffs start.
 
"It is extremely tough because No. 1, he helped us get to the point where we were at in our season," Osborn said. "You don't get to be out there with your teammates when you are making a championship run. I am sure that is hard for any of the players not to be out there.
 
"The way Shawn handled himself was extremely impressive. He had a great attitude the whole time. He was helpful to his teammates. He was a positive influence on our team."
 
Bane is back having a significant influence on the Bearcats on the field. Northwest faces another stiff challenge against Central Oklahoma. The Bronchos are coming off a 53-52 victory against Emporia State. They have averaged 44.5 points in their last two games and have scored 24 or more points in all five games.
 
"We reviewed the film," Osborn said. "We know as a team we have to play better football. We know Central Missouri is a good football team, but when you don't play your best football, any team can beat you, especially one with as much talent as they do.
 
"With this team coming to town, which is extremely talented with excellent skills on both sides of the ball, we have the players' attention because of the opponent we are playing."
 
Don't be surprised if Northwest is in another intense battle this Saturday against Central Oklahoma. Although the Bearcats have only trailed for 27 seconds the entire season, they have already had two close games, something they didn't experience last season.
 
"I think we are still trying to find out who we are," Bane said. "We all know we can lean on each other because of all the extra hours we put in over the summer. We know what we are capable of and know our training. We know how to find a way.
 
"We will treat it as the same as others. We won't overlook them. We will try to exploit them in their weak areas and try to come out with a win."