Goodhue's Jack Carlson brings mother's strength from cancer treatments to the gridiron
GOODHUE — As Jack Carlson now scans the stands before Goodhue football games, it doesn't take long for him to find his mother.
Decked out all in Goodhue purple, including a purple wig she has donned her "playoff hair," Beth Carlson is easy to spot.
"Yeah, she stands out," Jack Carlson, a Goodhue junior, said light-heartedly. "The first playoff game I looked over in the stands and I see her, I had to look twice, because it's weird seeing her with hair; she's got a purple outfit on — she's just straight purple."
It's these moments that Jack does his best to never take for granted ever again. In fact, there were times over the course of the past six months where these precious potential memories were in jeopardy.
It was last spring when the Carlson household's life was turned upside down after Beth had discovered a lump around her breast. Tests soon confirmed what the Carlson's had feared: Breast cancer.
By the time they caught it, the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. An aggressive form of treatment was required — 16 weeks of chemotherapy, followed by surgery and more than four weeks of radiotherapy.
Every step of the way, Beth was an absolute warrior, even as she lost her hair and appetite. She always showed strength even in the most trying times.
It will stick with her three children, especially her only son Jack, through the rest of their lives.
"I've looked at it as if she can do that, then I can do whatever I want when it comes to (the) football (field)," Jack said. "... It gives me a lot of motivation, if she's doing that, then I can do this and kind of just power through it. I just always think of it.
"It brings a lot of it into perspective. Two years ago, I thought sports were the biggest thing in the world. They matter more than anything else. Then this comes in, and then you're like sports don't matter. The people around you are the biggest deal and the biggest influence in your life."
For the Carlsons that will forever include the Goodhue community.
It seemed every one of the more than 1,200 community members were there for the family of five in some way.
Their generosity is something Carlson is reminded of as he reps the Goodhue purple and white.
"Right away we're getting meals every night of the week," Jack said. "We kind of had to shut that down because we had too much food at our house. Everyone was always checking up on me, on her, asking how she was. It's a small town. Everyone knows each other. Everyone's there for everyone."
Two weeks ago, Beth rang the bell at Mayo Clinic, signaling she was cancer-free.
"She just had a big smile on her face," Jack said. "She could have sat there and rang the bell all day."
Expect that smile to be just as wide as she watches her second oldest child play in a Class 1A state football quarterfinal game, when the No. 2-seeded Wildcats take on No. 3 Springfield at 7 p.m. Thursday at Mayo High School.
Her son will have a big part in it.
Carlson has been simply stellar all season long, doing a little bit of everything for the No. 4-ranked Wildcats (11-0), who are playing in their first state tournament since 2017.
The 6-foot, 215-pounder primarily plays linebacker but has played defensive end and even nose guard, despite often giving up 50-plus pounds to opponents.
Yet, it's nothing new for Carlson.
He was a state-qualifier in wrestling at heavyweight (285 pounds) last year while weighing in the 205-210 range. That work on the mat shows up consistently on the gridiron, while pairing it with an elite football IQ.
"I think what makes Jack so good is he's smart, he watches a ton of film, and he's got great feet," Goodhue coach Tony Poncelet said. "He's a physical, quick kid.
"... Wrestlers don't miss tackles. They always come up with an ankle. It's fun and Jack's been working his butt off. He's spent a lot of Saturdays on college visits this year. He just went to (Division II) Augustana (University) for a game day visit. He was up at UND (University of North Dakota). ... He's getting lots of opportunities."
With 68 total tackles, including 10 for losses, Carlson leads a talented Goodhue defense that allows fewer than 10 points per game.
For him, it all comes down to one trait.
"Speed," he said. "A lot of (speed). When you're wrestling a big guy, it's when you're faster that's what's going to win you the match. You're not going to win the match overpowering them. In football too, when you're playing the nose (guard), the center oftentimes, or the guards, I'm never going to out-muscle them. The speed off the ball and the speed on the wrestling mat all correlate."
That speed often comes to play on the offensive side of the ball as well.
He's second on the team with 537 yards rushing with a team-best 18 touchdowns on 98 carries. He and fellow wrestler Nathan Beck (1,073 yards, 17 TDs), give the Wildcats a formidable 1-2 punch.
Those two will be leaned on heavily against a Springfield squad that has finished as the Class 1A state runner-up the past two seasons and allows just 7.9 points per game.
Carlson and the close-knit Wildcats feel more than ready.
"Every week with these guys, it's something that we're going to remember the rest of our lives," Carlson said. "And preparing for a better team like that always makes it more fun, too. Everyone's together and talking through everything, there's way more communication. Everyone's been locked in the whole week."
Either way, whatever happens on Thursday, seeing his mother cancer free, Carlson knows he's already won.
