ADAMS TWP — No pain, no gain.

It’s a phrase often used to motivate athletes in the weight room, but for Mars’ Evan Wright, the words represent his ability to keep his junior season alive.

A shoulder injury suffered in a game against Highlands last year threatened to cut short a breakout campaign.

"My left shoulder popped out of place and tore through my labrum," said Wright, a 5-foot-7, 170-pound running back. "I needed surgery, but I had put a lot of work in for the season and decided to take on the risk and continued to play."

Mars running back Evan Wright gains yards in a game against Hampton last year. Wright played half of the season with a shoulder injury and still gained over 1,300 yards. He is back this year as one of the leaders of the Planets offense. Eagle File Photo

Following the injury, Wright wore a brace around his shoulder and played in Mars' five remaining games, including contests against Kiski Area, Armstrong and Hampton when he gained a combined 517 yards and scored seven touchdowns.

"It shows you what type of player he is," said Mars coach Eric Kasperowicz. "He didn't practice a whole lot after getting hurt, but come game time, he was ready to go."

Wright admits the injury was on his mind during games.

Evan Wright

"It didn't hurt every time I carried the ball, but in general, it was pretty painful," he said. "I had to change the way I ran with the ball, tried to avoid contact when I could.

"When it (pain) really started to bother me, I would come out for a few plays and everybody on the team knew what was going on. After a while, the pain would fade away and I would come back in."

Wright ended his junior season with 1,333 yards and 18 touchdowns. He had surgery in December, turned in a productive offseason and is anxious for an injury-free senior year. He has rushed for 2,004 yards and 23 scores in his varsity career.

The Planets are in their second season with Kasperowicz at the helm.

"This offense has incredible talent. We had a lot of young guys who spent a good part of last year learning and they're back," said Wright, who plans to join Mars' track and field team in the spring.

First things first, however, and they involve running through and around opposing defenses on the gridiron.

"Evan has obvious speed. He can outrun anybody in the conference and is able to cut on a dime," Kasperowicz said, "but people overlook his power. He has a low center of gravity and can run you over. He's a perfect fit for our offense."