ARGYLE -- When the Liberty Christian Warriors stepped on the field at Temple’s Wildcat Stadium last December, Warrior head coach Mark Bowles didn’t expect to have to do what he did.

When Liberty’s starting quarterback, Andrew Loch, hurt his hand and re-injured his knee, he was basically a decoy in the backfield, unable to throw the ball with much authority.

Enter then-junior running back Reid Fitzgerald.

The durable tailback in Liberty’s I-formation trumped what he normally did when he carried the ball a career-high 39 times for 203 yards and a touchdown en route to Most Valuable Player honors and a 28-7 win over Dallas Christian for the TAPPS Division II state championship.

“He was a true MVP of the game because we rode him,” Bowles said. “There were several of those carries where they hit him and he still gets another two or three yards. It took a gang to tackle him.”

Making his game even more amazing, consider this: Fitzgerald has had Type I diabetes since he was 6 years old. The morning kickoff time threw off his blood sugar to the point where he was struggling with his energy throughout the game, and he had to come out on numerous occasions to regulate his blood sugar.

The disease affects people whose bodies do not produce any insulin, which uses and stores glucose (blood sugar) in the human body.

“It was kind of weird because it was an early game,” Fitzgerald said. “I hadn’t done it all year, so it [playing a noon game] was weird. I don’t have as much time to get my blood sugar under control before the game. Like at night games I have all day to get it right and get ready.

“It was just crazy being way out of town and having the early game. We didn’t have a great breakfast, so I was kind of low on energy and struggling keeping my sugar under control.”

Fitzgerald’s parents took him to the doctor when he was young after he frequently had to make trips to the restroom and was constantly thirsty. They found out he had diabetes and at first were concerned because they weren’t familiar with the disease. But Fitzgerald said his parents were diligent in trying to learn all they could.

“They made sure I knew I could do whatever I wanted and just to be careful in keeping it under control,” Fitzgerald said. “My mom took it real seriously and was always making sure everything was all right and watching over me and everything.”

Bowles said the first time he realized the magnitude of what Fitzgerald was going through, as high school freshman with diabetes, was at his running back’s first go-around at two-a-days at Camp Copass, where the Warriors stay the night throughout the week.

His mother would be at the camp until just before bedtime and would be there again first thing in the morning.

Bowles knows the seriousness of the disease, since he lost a niece, Tonya, to diabetes at the beginning of the decade.

“That’s the first time it hit me that if he hits that bunk and doesn’t take care of himself, he doesn’t get up,” Bowles said. “It’s so dangerous. I’d imagine he didn’t spend the night with friends very often when he was a kid. For him to be on his own as a freshman in high school was a big deal for that family.

“Bigger than that, you think, next year at this time when Reid goes off to college he’s going to be on his own, and that’s how my niece died [in college by herself].”

Fitzgerald will likely garner some college offers this year, as he rushed for 2,143 yards and 20 touchdowns, and by all accounts is due for a bigger year this year with his improvements.

Fitzgerald has a good assistant in his dad, Steve, who is on the sideline for all of Liberty’s games and also often at practices. The senior running back has a cooler with him at practices and games that contains Gatorade and fruit juices along with some snacks in case he needs a pick-me-up.

During water breaks at practice, Fitzgerald must prick his finger and check his blood sugar. During games, his dad helps him with that to make matters move quicker in the heat of competition. He also gives his son insulin shots during games when he needs them, such as once on Friday night in Liberty’s win over Decatur.

At all other times, Fitzgerald wears an insulin pump, which allows him to eat whenever he wants to by simply dialing up how much insulin he needs.

“I couldn’t imagine going to football practice and every time you take a water break you have to prick your finger and check your blood sugar,” Bowles said. “His dad explained it to me that when his adrenaline is flowing, that helps. In a game, you’re all excited and your juices are flowing. I just wondered how you can have a sustained drive and not come out, but that helps somehow.”

Even though Fitzgerald might not feel too great at points during games and at practice, his teammates don’t notice any difference in their captain.

“You’ll see him sitting down with his dad doing his insulin stuff, but that’s all you see of it,” said offensive tackle Connor Cullum. “If it bothers him, he doesn’t show it. He’s that kind of guy. All the stuff he has to do and be aware of, and how disciplined he has to be with his eating and sugar and stuff, it’s pretty amazing.”

Bowles said Fitzgerald should be faster, stronger and more productive this year than he was last year, but he’s not quite caught up in conditioning yet after missing all of the summer with a broken foot suffered in Liberty’s spring game. He was cleared to run just before two-a-days started this summer.

The head coach said as horrible as the disease is, he can see how in some weird ways it’s helped Fitzgerald become the responsible, unassuming leader he is today.

“He’s had to do things and be careful and take care of himself,” Bowles said. “That’s probably why he looks so good. A diabetic diet is really a healthy diet. That’s helped him.

“He’s just a great young man. We want everyone to know that I’m really proud of his character. He could be a real egotistical person, but Reid is a team player. He doesn’t say much, which is great. He’s one of those that does it by example, which is the best kind. Don’t tell me, show me.”

ADAM BOEDEKER can be reached at 940-566-6872. His e-mail address is aboedeker@dentonrc.com.