Fort Myers basketball player returns to the court after two years

Fort Myers High School shooting guard Karsten Schafer received a warm welcome back Tuesday night as he checked into his first basketball game in two years.

“I’ve been waiting for this moment since freshman year,” Karsten said. “And like everything I’ve done from relearning how to walk doing everything is leading up to here.”

Basketball is Karsten’s love, but it was taken from him when doctors discovered a tumor breaking down his vertebrae. We first told you about Karsten’s journey in October.

“[Basketball] was getting ripped away from me,” Karsten said. “They said they’d think I wouldn’t compete at the high level.”

Karsten was determined to return to the floor and play with his teammates at Fort Myers High School. So much so, when doctors gave him the okay in June, Karsten got to work.

“The second I got cleared, I put my phone on do not disturb and three workouts a day,” Karsten said.

“There was just those moments he knew I’ve overcome putting on my own shoes, I’ve put on my own socks,” Karsten’s mom, Stephanie Schafer, said. “Now I’m shooting. Now I’m here. And just those moments of achievement that he’s been able to to do over the process of the last year has been inspiring for me cause there’s not much I can’t do if my son can do this.”

Going into the regular season opener against Immokalee, Karsten got the green light from head coach Marcus Blythers, “go out there play free. Let it fly and have fun. Just live in the moment.”

And that’s what Karsten did. He knocked down five three-pointers on the night. But nothing tops seeing the first one go in.

Karsten recalled, “first I was like finally. But once it went in I was like thank you God. Thank you for everything you pushed me through and it was like all my hard work paid off for that moment.”