Mentor senior linebacker Regis Coustillac lived out a nightmare on Saturday.

In his final game in a Cardinals uniform, he suffered a knee injury early in the first half and was unable to finish with his teammates as Mentor fell to St. Ignatius, 23-17, in a regional final at Lakewood Stadium.

Yet, during the Cardinals' rally in the second half, Coustillac was the team's biggest cheerleader, playing to the crowd and keeping his teammates on the sidelines in the game. It was a scene that won't get a lot of attention in the retelling of the Wildcats' win, it deserves to be mentioned.

Coustillac is an incredibly talented player and an articulate young man. He was rendered to the bench and saddled with crutches, but his passion for Mentor football and his teammates never took a hit.

It was more than refreshing, it was what high school sports - at the end of the day - should be all about.

Coustillac was a shining example on a somewhat bleak night for Mentor of how to conduct yourself as a student-athlete.

No doubt, he should be proud of his year on the gridiron, but equally proud of his attitude even while dealing with disappointment and injury.

- Bill Tilton