Faith believes in something you cannot see but understand that which is within your reach.
Once it gets to the beginning of August, that familiar sound begins to fill the air: crack. Which, to the innocent onlooker, is the generic term for when the football pads of one player collide with those of another player. There are few other sounds that may come from the same collision, but let's not jinx it this early.
Along with the sounds of football, come the smells of football. If you've ever walked down the hallway nearest the boys locker rooms at West Branch High School, you know to what I am referring. To be true, that stench is probably more universal than I give it credit for. If you can get beyond the wretchedness, you can get to the heart of what the smell really means: hard work and progress being made. Unfortunately, most people tend to focus on the origin rather than the outcome. We will get back to that statement in a bit. Soon after the sound and the smell you begin to arrive at the starting point for your ultimate goal.
In Iowa, every high school football kid dreams of playing in Cedar Falls at the UNI-Dome (a place the Bears have been lucky enough to play 23 times). At the beginning of the season, you dream about that one thing. It is a shame that only 24 teams will actually get the chance to achieve that goal once the calendar turns to November. Upon dreaming of the ultimate goal, your focus moves to the penultimate dream of playing beyond the nine games on a 2 month schedule. Obviously, I am speaking of the IAHSAA Football playoffs.
As of 2008, over half the schools in the state of Iowa are afforded the chance at glory. Glorys Last Shot if you will (apologies to the PGA Championship). Usually, on the Wednesday preceding Hallows Eve, that field is pared down to 16 teams per class. These teams can almost reach out and grab the door entering the Dome.
Let's recap: sound, smell, and touch.
August 12th was the first official day of practice for the Bears. There are so many fresh faces on the varsity level in 2013. But, the face of determination and dedication continues to look the same. When you experience the kind of success the West Branch football program has achieved over the past 30 years, you truly have something to believe in. (Read this carefully: after this article, the only time I will utter the names of Cade Jones, Bo Bower, Garett Lynch, or Cole Cook will be if the 2013 Bears achieve a team record the 2012 team has set before them. It is not disrespecting their fine achievements from last season, but rather focusing on the growth and achievement that will happen in 2013.) The 2013 Bear team is no receiving the same fanfare as its predecessor(s).
Each year, attrition is something that has an effect on every team. At the small school level, the cut seems to be a bit deeper. Gone is one of West Branch's top 3 all-time leading rushers. Gone is his backfield mate and the leader of the Bear defense. Gone is a three year varsity starter on the offensive line. Gone is one of the more intelligent signal callers in the past 5 seasons. Gone is another offensive lineman who was all-district. Combined, the 2012 football seniors have attained the following: 6 full or partial scholarships to play college football (some of the better programs in Iowa get less than that), 10 all-district or all-state performers, and the most potent rushing offense the Bears have had in 20 years.
So, you can kind of understand that the newspaper and internet writers are not expecting much out of West Branch in 2013. The CR Gazette has the Bears finishing a distant fourth in D6. Iowa Preps, a website which specializes in Iowa HS sports, has the Bears out of its preseason top 10 poll for the first time since the website was found. BCMoore ranks the team 7th, which is solely based on the performance of 2012. John Naughton, of the Des Moines Register, ranks the Bears 10th in his preseason poll, however, he does not rank Wilton in his top 10 much like everybody else has. Let's add some more numbers onto that. The Bears lost their top 3 leading rushers (Jones, Bower, Cook), their top passer (Cook), and their top two receivers (Bower and Drew Walter), their all-district kicker (Brandon Wasion), and their top interception and fumble recovery players. That is a lot to replace. OK, it is beginning to sound like I am making excuses.
Sound, smell, touch, sight... Full disclosure: if you are expecting an undefeated season and 4th state title in 2013, disappointment is going to be your feeling in early November. If you are expecting a semifinal berth, you are probably going to feel the same as the guy above. What can you expect? A team that listens to their coaches and will defy the expectations of many. A group of young men, emphasis on the young, that will seemingly improve from week to week (be sure and note how they grow from week 1 to week 2).
Finally, a tight knit bond between a community and vision. In January of 2009, this year's senior class were 7th grade basketball players. Randy Sexton, aka Barney, and I had the pleasure of coaching these fine lads. Final record: 0-12 for the A team. Scores from the first 5 games of the season: 56-6, 58-6, 48-8, 46-8, and 52-10. The 48-8 score was a home loss to Durant. Pause. "Jason, what in the cornbread world is this?" Wait for it. In the final game of the season, we played at Durant. Before that game, I recall Coach Sexton telling the kids, in a way only Coach Sexton can, "boys, this is your last chance to prove to yourselves that you've learned something. Go out there and play 24 good minutes of basketball for one great victory." One of the best pregame speeches ever given. Final score of game two at Durant: 32-30. We lost in double overtime. The taste of victory was on the tip of their tongues. I've told that story to each team we've coached at the junior high level since. Now, here is my point.
We knew in 2009 that this year's senior class was willing to continue to work at getting better until the season was over. So, I beg you, give these kids a chance. Give them your full support. I promise you one thing come October 25: we will have a chance at reaching the ultimate dream. And, if you give this team a fighting chance...my money is on the boys from Hoover's birthplace. BC Moore and John Naughton think it can happen. So do I. This is not my first rodeo with the Bears as the bull in the ring. On Friday nights, these kids deserve your belief in them. They've worked hard for it all summer. Why? Faith believes in something you cannot see but understand that which is within your reach.
