Resilient Rhino: Twelve Bridges quarterback overcomes rare cancer, prepares for college football

Like many high school seniors, Connor Frontiera entered January looking forward to the next chapter of his life. The Twelve Bridges High School senior was looking ahead to college, training for football and debating whether to return to basketball for the first time since his sophomore year. Frontiera says he was texting friends in January about the decision when he headed to what he thought would be a routine doctor's appointment. For months, Frontiera had been dealing with a persistent stuffy nose that first appeared during the spring before his senior season. Despite trying allergy medications, the congestion never went away. Because it never affected him on the field and mostly bothered him while sleeping, he assumed it was nothing serious. "My dad was the one who kept saying we needed to get it checked out after football," Frontiera said. "I thought it was a sinus infection. I never overthought it." Even doctors initially believed the growth in his nose might not be serious but after a biopsy, everything changed. Doctors discovered a cancerous tumor in his nasal cavity and needed to act quickly to remove it and begin treatment. "As soon as the doctor sat us down, I could tell something was wrong," Frontiera recalled. "I heard the word cancer and my heart just dropped." Frontiera was diagnosed with esthesioneuroblastoma, an extremely rare cancer that forms in the nasal cavity. Because of the rarity of the disease, he said doctors sent samples to multiple pathologists around the country before reaching a final diagnosis. The diagnosis came just months after Frontiera capped one of the most successful seasons in the region. As the leader of the Raging Rhinos offense, Frontiera guided Twelve Bridges to a third consecutive undefeated regular season and the Foothill Valley League championship. The Rhinos averaged 49 points per game, and Frontiera finished among the Sac-Joaquin Section's top quarterbacks with 2,946 passing yards and 29 touchdowns against just three interceptions. His leadership and production earned him Gold Mountain California News Media Small School Player of the Year honors. With football season behind him, Frontiera expected to spend the spring preparing for college but instead, his focus shifted from workouts and recruiting to to treatment. According to Frontiera, physicians at UCSF told his family they typically see only one to three cases of this cancer each year. Fortunately, the cancer was classified as Grade 2 and had developed lower in the nasal cavity rather than near the skull base, where the disease can become far more dangerous. Still, treatment would require months of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation. Looking back, Frontiera still thinks about how close he came to delaying the appointment. He said that had he committed to basketball, he likely would have waited until the season ended. "Who knows how big the tumor could have gotten?" Frontiera said. "Who knows when we would've checked it?" The diagnosis came just as Frontiera expected to enjoy the final months of high school. Instead, his life became hospital visits, surgeries and long drives to San Francisco. He underwent two eight-hour surgeries. The first removed the visible tumor. During follow-up imaging, doctors discovered additional cancer cells near the bone supporting his eye. Surgeons returned for a second operation, replacing part of the area with a synthetic sling secured by titanium screws. Recovery wasn't easy for Frontiera. Following the first surgery, he spent three days in the hospital and was required to sit upright with a large sponge packed inside his nose. "I couldn't breathe out of my nose at all," he said. Throughout his fight Frontiera kept his diagnosis largely private, only telling family members and a small group of close friends. Many classmates wondered why they rarely saw him. During his treatment, Twelve Bridges teachers and administrators stepped in to help. He said staff members worked with him on assignments and excused absences while he tried to finish his senior year while he underwent treatment. "The teachers were really helpful," Frontiera said. "They helped me with anything I needed." Following surgery came seven weeks of both chemotherapy and radiation. Monday afternoons, Frontiera and his family drove to San Francisco after school for radiation before staying overnight. Tuesday mornings began with another appointment before returning home. Wednesdays brought another trip after school, followed by nine-hour chemotherapy sessions on Thursdays and additional radiation on Fridays. He says the routine quickly became exhausting, but no obstacle tested him more than chemotherapy. "The first week was horrible," Frontiera said. "I was throwing everything up. I felt terrible." At one point, he thought that he had reached his breaking point. "I sat down with my parents and told them I didn't want to do it anymore," he said. His family encouraged him to push forward, and he did, determined to win his fight against cancer. Doctors adjusted medications, and while treatment became more manageable, the home stretch proved to be the most daunting. "The last three weeks were the hardest," Frontiera said. "I threw up everything I ate. I lost a lot of weight." Throughout the process, Frontiera found motivation in the people around him. He said that it was his parents making the trips to San Francisco with him or the support of his close friends and girlfriend that helped him push through. It wasn't just those close to Frontiera that gave him the strength and courage he needed to fight. He said that inside the hospital, he gained perspective after being surrounded by other patients, many facing even more difficult circumstances. During that stretch, Frontiera focused on gratitude more than anything else. "There are people going through things way worse than what I went through," he said. "Some of them are kids. I just kept trying to find things to be grateful for." He also developed an appreciation for the nurses and doctors who cared for patients every day. "You could tell everyone in there had the same thought," said Frontiera. None of us wanted to be there, but everybody was going through it together." At 18 years old, Frontiera believes he has already faced the toughest challenge of his life. The experience changed the way he looks at everything and more than anything, he gained a deeper appreciation for family and friends. "I'm almost certain this is the hardest thing I'll ever go through," Frontiera said. "When you hear that word (cancer), every possible thought goes through your head," Frontiera said. "Without the people around me, I wouldn't have been able to get through it." In May, after months of surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, Frontiera finally reached the finish line. He rang the bell marking the completion of treatment. "It was the biggest feeling of relief I've ever felt," he said. "It was like a weight off my chest. I felt happier immediately." Now cancer free, Frontiera is preparing for another chapter. He will continue his football career at Santa Barbara City College and has already resumed training. He plans to begin boxing workouts with his father to get in shape and return to the NorCal Passing Academy, which he has attended since eighth grade. Regaining his conditioning will take time, but he's eager to begin. More than anything, Frontiera is ready for a fresh start in a new place. "I'm excited to get out of the area where all this happened," he said. "There are things that bring back memories." Above all, Frontiera says that after months away from the game he loves, he's ready to put on the pads again. "I'm super excited to get back on the field and play football," Frontiera said. "I've missed football." Frontiera says that he hopes his story can inspire anyone going through something similar, saying that he knows how hard it is but wants people to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Said Frontiera. "Trust the people around you. Your family and friends truly love you, and they'll help you get through anything."