Hayes Center pair going into football Hall

Friday, January 17, 2020
Jim Cole
Gazette file photo

HASTINGS, Neb. — A Hayes Center legend with 211 wins will be inducted into the Nebraska Eight-Man Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame later this year.

Jim Cole took the Cardinals to state playoffs 19 times during his Hayes Center coaching-teaching career that kicked off in 1980.

“I was told that they were tough on coaches,” Cole told the Hayes Center Times-Republican in Thursday’s front-page story. “I didn’t think I’d be around long. But as it turned out, it was great working with the school in such a great community for so long.”

Cole was twice selected as part of the All-Star Game coaching staff in 1994 and 1999.

On Saturday, June 20, he will join 13 other new Hall of Famers to be inducted during the all-star contest.

Cole has missed coaching and teaching since retirement. However, he has assisted coach Kimberly Stengel with the Maywood-Hayes Center girls basketball team during these past three seasons.

The Wolves have posted a 51-14 record featuring consecutive 20-win campaigns and 11-2 so far in 2019-20.

Cole won’t be the lone Hayes Center native earning Hall of Fame honors.

Former resident and Nebraska Cornhusker Larry Frost will also be inducted as an all-state running back at Malcolm High School.

Besides his 121 career touchdowns being an Eight-Man national record, Frost is also the only Eight-Man player to earn Nebraska Shrine Bowl Most Valuable Player honors.

Frost went on to play three seasons for the Huskers with a key role on their 1969 Sun Bowl team.

Yes, he is the father of Nebraska national champion quarterback and current head football coach Scott Frost.

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