A year ago, Julius Laine was well on his way to his first 1,000-yard rushing season when a non-contact injury to his right knee ended his junior year prematurely.

It was a devastating blow for the 6-foot-1, 225-pound running back, marking his second ACL tear in a four-year span.

But if you were expecting the now-Wylie senior to be bitter about his poor injury luck — or to dwell on the negative all — you would be wrong. Laine’s focus is forward, not back, and with his knee fully healed, he has every intention of making his fourth varsity season his best to date.