COLUMBUS, Wis. -- Last year, the Columbus High School boys soccer team was named WISC-TV's "Prep Mania Team of the Month."

At that time, the team was dealing with the accident that befell Jarrod Rego, a Columbus player who was seriously injured in an ATV crash in July 2008.

After a very long year in rehab, on Saturday, Rego made a triumphant return to the field.

"When we got to state and when we won state, there was just something missing," said Roger Rego, Jarrod's dad. "Even though he was there and the team surrounded him, as a parent your heart goes out to him because you know how much he wanted to be a piece of it, too."

In this year's last regular season game Rego got the call he was waiting for. He took the field as Columbus took on Beaver Dam Wayland Academy.

"To get to watch him walk on the field and to have him get time on the field again is even better than when he was real active player. All year has just been holding back tears and just being proud that he's worked so hard to get to where he is today," said Roger Rego.

"It was good. I felt more confident about myself being able to start in the game. Being out there feels great because I didn't think I'd be out there after last year what happened," said Jarrod.

It took more than a year for Rego to recover and while family and coaches admit he is not the same player he once was, getting back on the field and playing with his friends and teammates is an accomplishment few can put into words.

"It was a long battle. He had to go through rehab. He had to learn to talk again. he had to learn to walk again," said Roger Rego. "He had to learn to be left handed because he was right handed."