Fracturing your spine is as unpleasant and uncomfortable as it sounds, but quite frankly, senior lineman Max Munoz decided to use it as a motivating factor for St. Laurence.

The unfortunate incident happened the summer before his sophomore year, likely from swinging a baseball bat. It hurt, sure. He was in a back brace and on painkillers for months.

But Munoz knew would return. He played on both sides of the ball this season for the Vikings, and more importantly, he helped them to a first playoff appearance since 2019.

“I was sitting on the sidelines, watching the games,” Munoz said of his injury and subsequent downtime during football season. “And I’m like, ‘Dang, I’ve got this so bad.’

“Next thing you know, I came back and they pulled me up to varsity.”

The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Munoz provided the necessary push and the pull Saturday night as 11th-seeded St. Laurence rolled to a 64-0 victory over sixth-seeded Chicago Vocational in a Class 4A first-round playoff game at rain-soaked Gately Stadium in Chicago.

Munoz, the CCL/ESCC White’s lineman of the year, helped the Vikings (7-3) race out to a 43-0 halftime lead and they never looked back in the blowout. That sets up a home game next weekend for St. Laurence against Dixon (9-1), a 10-7 winner over Plano.

Senior running back Aaron Ball did yeoman’s work Saturday with 44 yards and a touchdown on six carries, while junior Harley Rizzs added 120 yards on two carries, both for TDs.

But it was efficient senior quarterback Evan Les, who completed 4 of 6 passes for 73 yards and two TDs, giving rave reviews of Munoz’s blocking skills during a postgame session.

“Having a guy like Max at tackle is huge,” Les said. “He’s a very gifted player, but the key to Max is he’s not only gifted but he’s reliable. A lot of guys, they’re good, they’re big.

“I can always count on Max to give me the time to do what I need him to do.”

That’s on the offensive side of the ball, where he plays left tackle. On defense, where he plays end, if you tempt him, he’ll make you pay.

Case in point, midway through the second quarter, Chicago Vocational (7-3) was stuck on its own 32. The Cavaliers have two speedy backs, including senior James Canty, who appeared to be a threat to break a big play at any time.

On a second-and-10, Canty cut left, but Munoz sprinted from his position on the right side to record an assisted tackle on the left.

How did he do that?

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“It’s read and react,” he said with an easy smile. “You just got to do what you’ve got to do.”

St. Laurence coach Adam Nissen has come to rely upon Munoz, so it’s going to be tough to see him graduate.

“Two-way guy in the Catholic League is not easy to do, and Max has done it consistently for two years,” Nissen said. “I’m going to miss him next year. He’s a phenomenal football player.”

Although baseball was his first love, after graduation, Munoz wants to play football. He thinks he’ll go the junior college route, possibly with Iowa Western, with the intention of winding up at a Division I program.

Still, he won’t soon forget his injury. And he has a word of advice for players dealing with similar situations.

“It’s a mentality, pretty much,” Munoz said. “You just got to do all your physical stuff, but most of it is your mentality. Whatever you’ve got to do to come back.”

Gregg Voss is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.