If Muskogee High School track coaches David Heath and Coleman Hughes had their way, they would give medals for courage to Andre Anderson and Vernon Scott right now.

Both athletes have had more than their share of knee problems, but still managed to qualify for the Class 6A state meet this weekend in Ardmore.

Scott, a junior, tore the meniscus, or the cartilage, in his left knee during football season. While he’s recovered from the injury, his leg’s not as strong as it can be.

The senior Anderson, though, suffers constantly from pain in both knees that Heath describes as someone “twisted a knife inside his knee joint.”

“Vernon and Andre have never complained,” Heath said. “They’re coachable kids. Vernon had to run in four, actually five races with the preliminaries in the 200-meter dash, at regionals (in Skiatook) last week. He rose up to the challenge.

“Andre shows me has the makings of a true champion. He fights through the pain and is willing to put past him. I can’t say more for him. He’s a trooper. I’m going to miss him.”

Scott comes into the meet as the regional champion in the 200- and 400-dashes. He also will run in the 400- and 1,600-relays. Anderson, meanwhile, was second at regionals in the 400 and will run the 1,600- and 3,200-meter relays.

Anderson takes a simple approach to his pain.

“At the start of the race, I don’t pay attention to it,” he said. “I feel it, but I don’t let it get to me. It’s been going on for five to six years. I talked to my doctor about it and he said I’ll outgrow it. I’ll be OK. I’ve just got to be strong.”

Even though he’s not in pain like Anderson, the knee injury and subsquent surgery still has an affect on Scott during a race.

“It’s all right but if I can get a kick going, it would be better,” he said. “I have run straight through a race. I have to run at a constant speed. I’m finish my running out here at practice. Instead of jogging the last 50 meters, I run through the line.

“The muscles in my leg are weak and when track’s over, I’ll be going right to football. I’ll be able start back to lifting weights. It’ll be better then.”

Meanwhile, the two go for the gold medals in their events this weekend.

Besides Scott and Anderson, other Muskogee state qualifiers include Shjuan Ricahrdson in the 100-dash and 400-relay, Travon Brooks in the 400- and 1,600-relays, Jameel Owens in the 400-relay along with Lewayne Riley, Jordan Brown and Rico Brown in the 3,200-relay and Trae Cook and Bryson Donaldson in the high jump. Cook, the regional champion in track, will also run in the 400- and 1,600-relays and J.J. Cordell is in the 1,600- and 3,200-relays.