KARNS CITY — There were times when Shanel Preston feared she would never return to the basketball court.

There were times when she felt like just giving up.

“I was emotional at times when I was doing rehab, thinking I wasn't going to be coming back,” said Preston, a junior guard on the Karns City girls basketball team who suffered a serious knee injury in the fourth game of her sophomore season in 2012-13.

“It was a lot of work,” Preston added, her lips quivering with emotion. “Every day for seven months I had to push myself. There were a lot of tears. There were a lot of moments when I wanted to give up, but I have a lot of people behind me to push me. That's how I got back.”

Preston is back for the Gremlins, who have rolled this season to a 14-1 record. The road she took back to the court after shredding her ACL and meniscus has been a grueling and arduous one.

Preston was a star from almost the moment she stepped onto the varsity court as a freshman. She averaged 12 points per game that season and helped a program that was going through a downturn get back to respectability.

Things started out well for Preston last year until her knee buckled against Venango Catholic.

A year removed from that injury, Preston is just now getting her legs under her.

“It was almost like she was new to the team this year,” said Karns City coach Dave Kerschbaumer. “We played so long without her, it was almost like she was a new girl in town.”

Preston, though, made her presence known on the bench last season, even though she couldn't be out there with her teammates.

Her voice was always the loudest.

“She was a very vocal leader for us last year,” Kerschbaumer said, “as she is this year.”

Preston was and still is the anchor for the rest of the team.

“When things get goofy with us, she's the one who snaps us out of it and yells,” Kerschbaumer said. “The kids respect her.”

They also respect what she has done to get back.

Preston has finally shed the big, bulky brace that encased her leg. She was rid of it on the one-year anniversary of the injury.

“When the doctor told me I didn't have to wear it anymore,” Preston said, smiling, “it was exciting. Very exciting.”

Preston has had her moments this season. She started strong, but went into a five-game lull in which she scored only 23 points.

She has since broken out of that slump, recording four straight double-digit scoring games, including 21 against Cranberry last week.

Preston is averaging 10.2 points per game.

“She's finally getting back up to speed,” Kerschbaumer said. “She's a junior, but she's almost in a sophomore phase. She had a little tough stretch there, but I think she's caught up to speed now and that makes us a much more dangerous team.”

Her presence on the court is also bringing out the best from her teammates.

“It's a tight-knit group,” Kerschbaumer said. “Just having a friend back playing basketball again is a tremendous feeling for those kids. They knew what she went through and they went through it with her. To see her reap the rewards of getting back and getting on the same page with them is nice.”

In some ways, the injury freed Preston. She no longer concerns herself with getting hurt, or how many points she has scored.

“I care about winning with my team, that's all I care about,” she said. “I care about being back on the court and playing with my teammates and my friends.”