Now that Lone Peak basketball player Cory Chase has wrapped up his prep career, he can look back at a history of achievements even though he's had to deal with challenges almost beyond comprehension.

He's a two-time All-State player and had earned a spot in 16 school record categories coming into this season. A few more will be added before the books are closed this year, and he's been given the opportunity to continue to the next level.

"Cory's a very good scorer around the basket," said coach Quincy Lewis. "He also has a knack for being able to take charges. In fact, he's the best I've ever seen at that.

"He's improved his game so he can use the dribble a little bit more now," the coach continued. "He's already committed to BYU-Hawaii and will most likely serve his mission first."

The road has been a rocky one, however.

As a freshman under coach Mike May, Chase dressed for every varsity game but hardly saw the floor. When Quincy Lewis took over the job just weeks after that season ended, he made other plans very quickly.

Chase grew under the coach's guidance, and the team enjoyed a very successful summer. The Knights built a perfect 13-0 record in the preseason, with Chase scoring better than 15 points per game during the run and a then career-high of 27 against Payson.

Beginning sometime in December, however, it was obvious that something wasn't right. Chase felt drained, and his overall game suffered. Finally, he got the word right before the region season started, and it wasn't good. He had mono, and a badly enlarged spleen.

The team and his coach rallied around, and Chase began the slow road to recovery. He was cleared to play for the last three region games and made some solid contributions the rest of the way, but he finished the season at less than his best.

"I felt I did help the team as much as anyone, just the same as those who didn't play that much, but I was frustrated because I knew I had more in me," he said.

"I gave my best every day, but it wasn't always what I wanted." Still, it was good enough to get him on both All-State lists.

Lewis ordered Chase to take a month off after Lone Peak lost in the state quarterfinals. Some after-effects of the mono remain to this day, but Chase continued to push himself. Progress was uneven; he would do well for a few days, then hit the wall again and have to regroup. But he never stopped trying.

By the time his junior season started, Chase was about ready to explode, and he took it out on hapless first opponent Bountiful. He burned the nets for 19 points along with a solid floor game, and followed up with 18 points against Provo three days later.

But in the first quarter of the next game, disaster struck again. Chase landed awkwardly under the basket and withdrew from the court. The first examination suggested a severe sprain.

Days went by, but the pain didn't subside. The Chases went for another x-ray, and this time the true cause was found - a fractured ankle.

"I was devastated at first," he said. "They said I could lose the whole rest of the season. Naturally, I was really upset."

Chase had three steel pins inserted to hold the bones of his foot together, and finished the season with them still embedded there.

In the meantime, he began an intensive course of physical therapy which allowed him to return to the hardwood weeks earlier than anyone expected.

"In nine or 10 days, they were already telling me it might be sooner; I was healing really well," Chase said. The attending doctor called it miraculous.

Chase swam, lifted weights, did stationary dribbling, shot as soon as he could stand. He also kept his cowhide companion close by.

"I always had a ball in my hands, so I wouldn't lose the feel of it," he said. It even went to the movies with him.

When he was cleared to practice, he could hardly contain himself. "I was so excited to be playing with my guys instead of yelling at them from the sidelines," he said. "I wasn't really out of shape; I'd learned that lesson the year before."

He returned to the lineup the next day, even earlier than the revised forecast. The Knights had other wounded players besides him that night, but they pulled together and managed to hold off a very good Mountain View team for a first region victory.

"We needed a win," he said. "That was my primary concern. I didn't expect to score, I just wanted to play my role."

He did, and continued to, but there were still setbacks. He played a lot, but would often finish practices or games with his ankle swollen and sore. There were days when his execution fell far short of his enthusiasm.

"When I shot terribly or was unfocused or something went wrong, I tried to come ready the next day," he said. "I tried to look at each day as a new day and a fresh start."

Chase helped the Knights win their second consecutive region championship, and shared the excitement as the team readied for the playoffs.

"I expected my team to do as well as any other team could," he said. "We weren't an underdog, but we weren't an overwhelming favorite either. I thought we could compete, but I expected every game to be a tough one, and they mostly were."

First-round opponent Bountiful wasn't much of a match and the Knights won easily, but then they had to face mighty Payson.

This was perhaps Chase's finest hour last season, but it too came with a price tag. Going after a ball in the first half, he slid and hit the concrete wall in the WSU arena.

Chase was late coming back from the break, and the coaches quickly substituted for him. Even they did not know he was still in the locker room throwing up because of the concussion.

He returned to the game anyway, and made one outstanding play after another to help the team escape with a 63-61 win. "I don't take the credit for this victory, but I felt like I did all I could," he said.

He suffered a cracked breastbone early in the next game and had several other mishaps, but refused to stay on the bench.

"I thought as long as I could walk, I could play," Chase said. "I owed it to my team to keep trying. Whether I had an impact or not, I don't know. I wasn't trying to be an example; I just didn't want to let my guys down."

Lone Peak went on to win the title, and Chase was named to the All-Tournament team and again received All-State status.

"He was a big part of our championship run last year," Lewis said. "He's given some gutsy performances throughout his career, but none bigger than the ones that week."

The team has struggled at times this year, but Chase has continued to give his all, whatever it was on any given day.

"I've appreciated the effort he's made all three years," Lewis said. "He's a good kid who's had to fight through a lot of adversity."

Yet, despite all that, Chase will graduate from Lone Peak as the third-leading career scorer in school history with a championship ring on his finger and a full-ride scholarship in his pocket which will allow him to go on playing the game he loves.

Not a bad way to finish after all.

This story appeared in North County on page A6.