Forced out of basketball with an injured knee last fall, Matt Lower took himself out of school.

Now the Knoch senior guard is trying to re-establish himself in both.

After leading the Knights in scoring with 13 points per game his junior year, Lower tore the ACL and MCL in his left knee during the final day of open gym last fall.

"I was in shock. I love basketball so much. I couldn't believe that my senior season was over, just like that," Lower said.

"I needed some time off. I couldn't deal with it."

Lower dropped out of school late last fall. He drifted into drug and alcohol abuse before going through a month of rehabilitation.

"I quit on everything. I gave up," Lower admitted.

As Knoch made its run toward the WPIAL Class AAA championship game, Lower never came to watch his team play until its playoff game with Uniontown.

"I couldn't bring myself to watch if I couldn't play," he said.

"Matt has a true love for the game. He's a gym rat," Knoch coach Les Shoop said. "He had to deal with a lot of personal issues."

While he was doing so, Lower said he always planned to return to high school.

He planned to resume his high school basketball career as well.

"Once I hurt my knee, I knew there was no chance of playing last year," Lower said. "If I dropped out and came back, I knew I'd have a slight chance of playing this year."

But that chance is very slight.

Knoch athletic director Josh Shoop filed paperwork to petition the WPIAL for a fifth year of athletic eligibility for Lower. That petition was denied.

The school has the option of filing an appeal, at which point Lower's case could be pleaded during a formal hearing before the WPIAL Board of Control.

"We're not sure if we're going to take that route," Josh Shoop said. "We're undecided right now."

The PIAA's athletic eligibility rules state that an athlete loses eligibility at the end of his fourth consecutive year beyond the eighth grade. If an athlete repeats a grade after eighth, he is ineligible as a senior.

WPIAL Board of Control President Tim O'Malley said athletes have been granted fifth-year eligibility in the past "due to extenuating circumstances."

"But they have to be extreme," O'Malley said.

About 10 years ago, McGuffey football player was granted another year after a serious automobile injury cost him much of his senior year. A Latrobe football player was granted another year after a similar accident, but his injuries prevented him from ever returning to competition.

Justin Moore, a former Canon-McMillan basketball player, blew out his knee before his senior year and was unable to play. He petitioned for a fifth year and was denied.

"There does seem to be a precedent in this (Lower) case," O'Malley said.

Lower's age is not a problem in this case. He turned 19 Oct. 13. Athletes are eligible for competition as long as they don't turn 19 before June 30 of that year.

Lower re-enrolled at Knoch this fall and is carrying a 4.0 grade point average. His average was about 2.5 when he left school last year.

"I grew up," Lower said. "I had to take control of my life."

"We filed for eligibility to help the kid," athletic director Shoop said. "It would be advantageous to him to be part of a team. It gives direction and requires discipline.

"Matt wants that discipline. He wants a structured life."

Lower has been practicing with the team throughout the preseason. He wasn't eligible to participate in scrimmages against other schools and can't play in any games unless the appeal process is successful.

Coach Shoop said Lower would likely become a starter if permitted to play.

"He would definitely be in our rotation and see plenty of action," he said. "My dilemma has been how much practice time to give him, not knowing whether he'll be eligible to play.

"I like Matt. He's always treated me with respect. The kids like him, too. He's a fun kid to be around.

"I think he's matured as a person. Whether he's allowed to play or not, I'm confident he'll continue along the positive path he's on. It's the possibility of playing basketball that originally motivated him to do what he's done," the coach added.

What Lower's done is straighten out his life. He insists it will stay that way.

He underwent surgery on his knee Jan. 5 and it hasn't returned to 100 percent strength yet.

"I have the total mobility back and in time, my knee's strength will be at 100 percent," Lower said. "At first, I couldn't move it for a month. I didn't leave the house for a month."

But that's in the past.

"I'm prepared now either way," he said. "If I'm allowed to play, I'll prove I can still be a good player and try to get into a four-year college.

"If I'm not allowed to play, I'll graduate with good grades, enroll at Butler County Community College and eventually get to a four-year school."

Coach Shoop said numerous Knoch players have gone on to play at BCCC and encourages Lower to do the same.

"We'd be a better team with him than without him," Shoop said. "Either way, Matt Lower's basketball career is not over. That's what's important."