It?s a battle Luke Hostetler fights every day and he?s winning ? just like on the football field.
River Hill?s junior quarterback has guided the Hawks to a record of 13-0 entering Saturday?s 2A state final at M&T Bank Stadium, and hasn?t lost a football game since he was a seventh grader playing for a Howard County club team.
But of all the opponents Hostetler has defeated by throwing a football, each pales in comparison to the one he faces daily: cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening, genetic disease that causes mucus to clog organs in the body, usually the lungs or pancreas.
Hostetler, 16, has spent the past 15 years fighting the incurable disease carried by about 30,000 Americans.
“Every night I pray before to God before I go to bed and thank him for keeping me healthy and to keep me healthy,” Hostetler said. “Dealing with [cystic fibrosis] is a lifestyle.”
Each morning for the past five years, Hostetler said he wears a vibrating vest for 20 minutes that shakes his chest to help prevent mucus from clogging. Every time he eats, Hostetler takes enzyme pills ? about 20 a day ? to help the digestion of his food to receive proper nutrition. Before he goes to bed, he completes another session with the vest, usually wearing it as he completes his homework or watches television.
“I do everything to keep myself healthy,” he said. “That?s all I can do. I?m going to be positive because I know researchers are doing everything they can to find a cure.”
Hostetler claims he has never felt better ? and it?s hard argue with him. The 5-foot-10, 160-pounder has guided one of the state?s most prolific scoring machines to the biggest game of the season, where the Hawks (13-0) will face Eastern Tech (13-0) for the game?s most coveted trophy. Hostetler has been phenomenal, orchestrating an offense that has amassed 5,173 yards, 537 points and 80 touchdowns.
Hostetler has completed 26-of-54 passes for 525 yards and 13 touchdowns and has rushed for 39 yards and 4 touchdowns on 29 carries. Hostetler guided the junior varsity team a 10-0 season in each of the past two years, and entered high school after leading the Columbia Ravens, a club team, to an undefeated season as an eighth grader.
“He?s such a great leader because he?s so upbeat,” River Hill junior running back Michael Campanaro said. “We could have just ran a play that turned out badly and he?ll still be so positive in the huddle. He never yells at us. He?s always smiling.”
Hostetler also is a standout lacrosse player, and his engaging personality makes him very popular among his teammates. Still, he said few know of his life outside of shoulder pads.
“We make a point to not talk about it publicly,” said Todd Hostetler, Luke?s dad. “[My wife] Lisa and I just give thanks to God for the opportunities he gives Luke. But I will say this: Playing sports has helped Luke be active and keep him in great shape and in great condition.”
When Luke Hostetler takes a snap, he?s calm, cool and collected. He reads the defense and his deft ball fakes can freeze a defense, giving speedy running backs Malek Redd 1,321 yards, 17 TDs), Zach Martin (1,204 yards, 13 TDs) and Campanaro (1,739 yards, 22 TDs) the split-second needed to produce a long run.
“He?s always had a great attitude and is a very smart player and that?s the thing about Luke,” River Hill coach Brian Van Deusen said. “If you look at him and saw the way he plays, you wouldn?t have any idea what he deals with.”
CYSTIC FIBROSIS
» What is it: Cystic fibrosis is a life-threatening disease that causes mucus to build up and clog some of the body?s organs in the body, particularly the lungs and pancreas. It can make breathing very difficult.
» How it is contracted: The genetic disease is inherited from parents through DNA.The defective gene responsible for causing cystic fibrosis is on chromosome 7, and a person must inherit two copies of the defective cystic fibrosis gene?one copy from each parent.
» Number of carriers: Approximately 30,000 American have cystic fibrosis, and 10 million more?about one in every 31 Americans?are carriers of the defective gene, but do not have the disease.
» Treatment: A large part of the medical treatment is to clear mucus from the airways by using different techniques, including vibrations, mucus-thinners, antibiotics, anti-inflammatories and bronchodilators, which make breathing easier.
?Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
