Basketball: Capo Valley Senior Overcomes Spine Condition

Trevor Farrow told everyone he would play basketball again, despite the excruciating pain in his back. Even though three orthopedic specialists told him to give up sports forever, his closest friends at encouraged him to rebuild and recover.

These days, however, Farrow is no longer looking back. He is looking forward—forward to being a contributing player for the defending CIF Southern Section Division 1-A Finalist Cougars as they try for another shot at the championship title.

If desire equaled results, you would back Farrow that he will be there in the end.

“It would mean the world to me to help them win (a CIF championship)," the 6-5 senior forward said. "It’s what I’ve thought about and what has kept me going. When I was at my lowest point I knew I would be back and help this team. I guess I provide something different than everyone else, because I appreciate it even more.”

The Pain and Agony

Farrow’s comeback journey began two years ago, with more ups and downs than the recent stock market. But his story actually began way before that.

Growing up, Trevor was always the athlete of his neighborhood. He not only played every sport but excelled in all of them. By the time he entered high school, Farrow had narrowed his seasons to three—football, basketball and volleyball.

In his freshman year, Farrow was a starter on the freshman football team. In basketball, he won the team Most Valuable Player award by leading the freshmen Cougars to the league title. And in volleyball he also won the MVP award while playing on the junior varsity team.

That summer Farrow played club basketball and club volleyball, working hard every day to get better and improve his game with the goal of making the varsity teams as a sophomore.

But by the start of that school year, in September 2009, Farrow had begun experiencing intense back pain. He could barely get out of bed, let alone jump, bend and run around the court.

“I basically wore myself down my freshman year,” said the 18-year-old.

He saw his first doctor at the Southern California Orthopedic Specialists. For several months they tried several procedures, from cortisone injections to stabilizing his back in a cast, but the pain persisted. He tried another back specialist, who told Farrow that he would never play basketball again.

“That was my lowest point,” Farrow recalled, “He was a doctor, so I though he knew what he was talking about. Then I went to one of the Lakers’ doctors, and he told me the same thing. When he said that, it was hard not to believe him. It shocked me.”

Colin Reef has been one of Farrow’s closest friends since the fourth grade when they were teammates playing All-Net and AAU basketball. He began noticing that Trevor was losing confidence with his back injury during their freshman year of basketball together and tried to keep his friend’s attitude up. But it was difficult.

“Ever since he won Most Valuable Player on the freshman team he’s had his head in the right position game-wise, but it was kind of sad to see someone so poised and intelligent have something like this happen to him,” Reef said. “We all tried to pick him up as friends, not just basketball players, and what is important is that he is in the right state of mind at the end of the day. He’s almost like a brother to me.”

Check Patch tomorrow for more in this continuing series.