Seniors leadership key to Bison football success
It's been a few years since a McCook High School football team has lost more than three games in a season.
But the 7-4 record the Bison recorded this season won't diminish the accomplishments of a strong group of senior team members, according to McCook head football coach Jeff Gross.
"This group of seniors has a lot to be proud of," Coach Gross said after last Friday night's 35-10 playoff loss to top-ranked Aurora. "I told them all along, I said 'I'm as proud of you as any group I've had come before you. You're probably not the most talented group we've had,' and they know that and they're OK with that. As far as selling it all out on the field and having a ball, I think they did that and they proved to be very, very successful.
"I told them the way they battled and were courageous this entire season, that's going to lead to them being courageous and battling their entire lives when the chips are down. That's the message I want these kids to walk away with. So what, we didn't win state -- the last few years (McCook teams) that were way more talented than you, they didn't win it either. You were courageous and battled all the way to the very end."
The Bison seniors on the 2009 team have enjoyed success throughout their McCook football careers.
"The bottom line is, this group of kids, this group of seniors, they made the playoffs all four years of their high school careers," Gross said. "They were involved in eight playoff wins, they got medals put around their necks on Memorial Stadium's field (state playoff runner-ups) when they were sophomores -- they were a large part of that team, the make-up of that team, to make us better in practice every day. These guys have experienced the gamut in high school football. Let's go anywhere in this area and find a senior class that is as decorated as these kids are. Because we were 7-4 this year doesn't taint that at all."
Coach Gross will have to replace a talented senior class, led by backfield starters in quarterback Chad Stull, tailback Andy Smith and fullback Deon Allen, the top three leading rushers from the 2009 Bison squad. Mark Nichols was the top receiver for the Bison this fall. Kicker Shane Wallen was second on the team in points scored with 52, including three field goals and 31 conversion kicks, plus two touchdowns. The Bison offensive line was anchored by seniors Chance Evans, Garrett Wagner and Huffman.
Linebackers Austin Huffman, Greg Younger, Corey Paz and Stull, plus safety Chance Pearson were the top five leaders in defensive points for the Bison. End Chris Farrell and cornerback Tye Smith also started on the Bison defensive unit all season, and they led the team in pass interceptions (two by Smith, another by Farrell).
The remaining senior team members included Joel Aguirre, Jimmy Barron, Andrew Broadfoot, Austin Edwards, Brenden Funk, Spencer Gillen, Dillon Harpham, Evan McConnell, Zach Rokusek and Marcus Wilson.
Most high school athletic coaches would likely agree that they are teaching life lessons to their players. If their performance this season is any indication, Coach Gross thinks this group of seniors will be successful in the good times and the bad.
"I want them to know that this year was tough at times, and when it got tough, they bowed their necks and they became men and they stepped up and did what they needed to, and that's the lifelong lesson," Gross said. "I hope none of them have to go through bad things, but they are all going to. At some time, someone in every one of those guy's lives is going to die or something is going to happen to them. And then how are they going to react? I want them to step up and be a man and rely on the experiences they have learned."