WELLMAN
The moment tugged at their hearts.
There were tears.
And Hugs.
And smiles.
Tears again.
Long after Roland-Story’s football players had loudly celebrated their Round of 16 playoff win last Friday night (Oct. 30) at Mid-Prairie High School’s stadium, the Golden Hawks remained.
One minute turned into five.
Five minutes turned 10, and 10 turned into a half hour.
Tommy Miller, a senior lineman who had scored not just one touchdown on this field but powered his way for several, just couldn’t muster the strength to leave. Not on this night. Not now.
“Football, man. Last time I’m walking off this field, for real,” he said, eyes watering.
While the Golden Hawks walked around each other, hugging and slapping hands, their parents and other Golden Hawk fans stood at the top of a hill, behind the bleachers, waiting out this incredible moment. Soon, they’d be in the hugging and in the tears.
Coaches walked around the maze of their players, hugging, searching for the perfect words.
“It’s the worst feeling,” said Golden Hawks head coach Daren Lambert, his eyes red from the tears. “My heart just hurts for them.”
Lambert will have some of these Golden Hawks in basketball as head coach. Just days from now.
Other Golden Hawks will compete in track.
Or wrestling.
Senior quarterback Brooks Weber will play basketball and then baseball, as did his older brother, Brady. But there won’t be a moment like this.
“I love this group of guys so much,” he said. “Nothing in this thing can take away those memories.”
Oh, the memories. This year’s Golden Hawks lost just two games, this one to Roland-Story and a nonconference battle to second-ranked Alburnett. They captured a third consecutive district championship with an unbeaten record for the third straight year. Weber tied his own single-season school record for touchdown passes with 30 and became the school’s first 2,000-yard passer, plus 583. He smashed career school records in TD passes and passing yardage.
But as he looked at that Golden Hawk crowd assembled atop the hill more than half a hour after a 42-14 loss, Weber thought about them.
“They cheered us on so much,” his voice trembling with emotion. “I can’t thank them enough.”
After a late night of emotional farewells, Mid-Prairie’s underclassmen walked off the field, leaving these seniors alone in their moment. They were on this field for four years as high schoolers and on it even before then as middle schoolers. A lifetime. Or at least the young years leading to a lifetime.
“Brotherhood,” Miller said. “We’re gonna be friends for life.”
There’s Miller. And Weber. And Carson Humphrey and Nolan Jergens and Jack Sorrell and Kale Miller. And Caedyn Huston and Max Kipp and Ryan Miller and Travis Shenk and Will Snider and Quincy Duvall.
“Best linemen I’ve ever played with,” Weber said.
They never lost a district game.
They’ll remember the weight training. All summer. Three days a week.
They’ll remember Turtle and Lambert and Barthelman and Hervey and Potts and Wertz and the Cortums.
They’ll remember the bus rides and the postgame meals.
They’ll remember the touchdowns and the mud and the heat.
They’ll remember a 46-0 playoff win over Mediapolis on this field last year and a 52-27 playoff win over Chariton this year.
Mostly, they’ll remember each other.
“I love all of them,” receiver Carson Humphrey said. “We’ve been playing together forever.”
And that’s why they wanted to stay on this field.
Forever.
News columnist Paul Bowker can be reached at bowkerpaul1@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter: @bowkerpaul
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