Hes a part of us: North senior is the heart of the Wildcats – WQAD Moline

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DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Davenport North Wildcats are on the verge of a historic season.

"We know one more loss and we're done for the year." said North Head Coach, Adam Hite.

One more win and the Wildcats will have six wins for the first time in more than 30 years. One more win and the Wildcats have a shot at making the playoffs.

"We're looking to keep growing and get better every year." added Hite. It's Coach Hite's first season calling the shots and plays for the Wildcats. But a guy who has seen the program in good times and bad is Cobey Brock, a senior at North.

"Freshman year it wasn't as much as now. I was just kind of watching them and giving moral support," said Brock. "But now it's like...I'm part of the team."

Brock is a little bit different than his teammates.

"The players treat me like family." said Brock.

The senior doesn't play minutes on the field, but his role might be more important than scoring touchdowns. Brock used to play football himself.

"I think it was about when he was six or seven. Because he was playing in, when he was able to walk, he was playing in flag football," said Stefaine Brock, Cobey's mom. "That's when he really started enjoying it."

Around that same time - six or seven-years-old - Cobey was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

"He was about 10 years old when he lost the ability to walk." said Stefaine.

It was a diagnosis his mom and dad thought they were in the clear from.

"We were told that I'm a carrier for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. But we were told before that I was not," said Stefaine. "So it kind of came as a bit of a shock when he was diagnosed. But I knew we could handle it."

It hasn't always been easy.

"It was difficult to see kids go run around and play and I couldn't. But it all worked out," said Brock. Cobey's outlook and sports carried him and his family through.

"It's just nice to see that everyone includes him as one of the team. So it's just sad to see all of that stop," said Stefaine.

He's front and center in the team picture, decked out in his jersey.

"Being in the jersey with them makes me feel part of the team more than I already do," said Brock.

He's in the locker room before the game begins, and on the sideline for every play -- Cobey's more part of the team than not.

"I just hope a lot them go far in football," said Brock. "I think they'll do great things."

It's easy to see the team already thinks he is.

"He's apart of us," said Hite.

The Wildcats play for a shot at the playoffs on Friday in their final game of the regular season at Muscatine. With a win, they'd advance to 6-3.

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Hes a part of us: North senior is the heart of the Wildcats - WQAD Moline