Football at 65 Epilogue
By Uncle Hans
I figured there needed to be an epilogue to the football blog and what better subject than the Athletic Awards ceremony, recently held at Trinity Bible college. I drove out there to see all the guys and catch up on what was happening. The ceremony began with cross-country. the School has a strong program and several runners qualified for nationals. Then came football. This is coach Slivoskey............
........He handed out about a dozen awards, one to Anthony Red Cloud, who was my partner and guide in the dreaded lifting sessions twice a week at 0630. Once he was done, I slipped out of the Chapel, where the ceremony was being held, to go to the bathroom........
.......I knew I would not miss anything important, since the football awards were finished. But, they have an award they give out each year called "Best Moment", commemorating some unforgettable athletic event during the year. Unbeknownst to me, they had decided to award that to me, for my football experience at the school. The Athletic Director went up to the microphone and started explaining the award and why it was being awarded, telling some stories about my season. I think he and the whole audience realized about the same time that I had slipped out and all were wondering what was going to happen next. He just told another story until I ambled back into the Chapel.......
...............to laughter and cheering.
.............I felt kinda bad, taking the award from some more deserving event or person. The 8th seeded guys basketball team upset the 1st seed in the semi-finals of the tournament, 94-93. Our running back scored 6 touchdowns (and nearly scored two more on interceptions), all in the same game.
So there were some very deserving "Best Moments", but the "Football at 65" experience was so unique and positive, that The athletic administration decided that it was to be the award.............
.......If you followed this blog, you have heard me repeatedly discuss out small team size and the challenges and opportunities (for me) presented during the season.
But the football "small size" stories, I found out at the ceremony, pale in comparison to the Women's Basketball stories. They started the season with 6 freshman and 5 sophomores.............that's it, no Juniors or Seniors. They had repeated problems with injury, illness, family emergencies, and general bad luck. They played games with 6 players. They recruited in the lunchroom several times for any student with basketball experience. In the end, only 3 of the original 11 women were still on the roster.
In spite of all that adversity, they had a 15-11 season. They went to the semifinals of the conference tournament and to the semifinals of the regional tournament.
Unbelievable.................
.................To me, that is the winner of the "Best Moment" Award
......So, the ceremony was a fun and fitting epilogue to the whole "Football at 65" experience and a good chance to get a lot of hugs from the entire team. I am glad I made the trip. It was closure.
I was disappointed, however, that I did not win "Lifter of the Year". (just kidding! I hated lifting and was the worst lifter in the gym every time I went!)
By Uncle Hans
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