Josh Kahley comes back strong for Batavia’s defense after ‘miracle’ return from preseason injury

BATAVIA — Things weren’t looking great for Batavia’s Josh Kahley early into his senior season.

It was the Monday of Week 5 of the football season. While Batavia was preparing to face off against Wheaton North, the former All-DuKane Conference defensive back was headed back to the doctor’s office to get a second opinion on his leg, which Kahley injured during summer practices. And if the second opinion didn’t say he was clear to go, he’d be going under the knife instead of watching the game.

While Kahley, and the Bulldogs’ coaching staff, was worried he’d spend the rest of his senior season on the sideline, the doctors ended up giving him the best news possible.

“They told me they could give me a brace and I’d be able to play,” Kahley said. “That was probably one of the best sentences I’ve ever heard. I was with my dad, and I was just speechless. It was awesome, and it’s all I wanted to do.”

Eight weeks later, not only did Kahley make his way back onto the field, but he’s also been a key contributor for the Batavia defense since his return. On Saturday he had 14 tackles in Batavia’s semifinal win over Lincoln-Way Central to help the Bulldogs make it back to state for the second time in three years.

“Him being able to play for us was like picking up a free agent in the middle of the season,” Batavia coach Dennis Piron said. “It was such a wonderful thing. I think he truly believed he wasn’t going to be able to play. And here he is, by a miracle, being able to compete and play.”

When Kahley, who led the team in interceptions (three) and passes defended (14) a season ago, went down with his injury, the entire team knew that it would be tough to fill the role he would play on the team.

But nobody took it as hard as Batavia defensive back coach Billy Colamatteo. The 11-year coach, who has known Kahley since second grade, said that it was like his own son had been injured.

“When he got injured, I was just devastated,” Colamatteo said. “I didn’t even want to go to practice the next day because I felt so bad for him. I just knew how much playing in his senior season meant to him.”

While Kahley, who was named one of the defensive captains during the offseason, was unsure if he was going to be back on the field for his senior season initially, Colamatteo still knew that he could contribute in a different way — as a coach.

“He never really left my room. He was always there, even when he was injured, so I just told him ‘Welp, your role is going to change now,’ " Colamatteo said. “He would break down film with (defensive coordinator Matt) Holm, working with myself, giving and coaching the younger guys while he was out.”

And while Kahley said it was painful not to be on the field during that time, he still fully embraced the coaching role for the first five weeks of the season, knowing that it would be the best way to bring the defensive back room to the best level that they could be.

“Something that’s really special with the coaching staff that we have here is that when a player, or a captain like me, is potentially out for the season, they knew I still had value for what I could bring to the team, whether that be on the field or on the outside,” Kahley said. “I just wanted the team to do well, and for everyone to do the best they could.”

Kahley got suited up, brace and all, for the first time this season in the rivalry game against Geneva in Week 6. But he wouldn’t see the field until Week 7 against St. Charles East, where he played a limited role in order to work back into his role.

But since returning to the starting lineup the following week against Wheaton Warrenville South, the senior has averaged 6.3 tackles per game, which is second on the team behind fellow senior DB Chase Osborne.

“When he came back, he really made everything kind of just jell like we thought they would in the summer,” Colamatteo said. “And for him to come back the way he has, it’s been just an incredible story.”

Kahley’s comeback reached a pinnacle during the state semifinal game against Lincoln-Way Central, where the senior put up not just a season-high, but also a career-high 14 tackles to help Batavia limit the Knights to just 94 rushing yards.

“They were a really physical team, and we knew that,” Kahley said. “I remember (Colamatteo) saying that me and Chase were going to have a lot of tackles, just with how their scheme is. And me and Chase, and everyone was ready for that task. And I mean, it’s great that I can make that impact.”

Kahley’s comeback season will come to an end Saturday when the Bulldogs face an all-too-familiar opponent in Mount Carmel in the Class 7A state title game at Hancock Stadium in Normal. It will be Kahley’s second time playing against the Caravan in the state title game. He played in his second-ever varsity game against them in the 2022 title game, before he earned his nameplate.

“The expectation in a state title game is always super high, and the expectation against a good team like Mount Carmel, we got to bring the best that we can,” Kahley said. “And I know that we will, but our focus is just on everything we can do as a team.”