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I've just returned home from the Sturgis vs. Rapid City Stevens football game. After 79 consecutive losses and graduating five consecutive senior classes who never saw their high school football team win a game, Sturgis posted a 22-20 victory. I'm pretty sure I made it to more of those 79 losses than I missed. It was great seeing the excitement of the student body when the game was over. The celebration lasted a very long time.
It was a great crowd. We have been having great crowds for a long time. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of courage, and a lot of school pride for the players to continue to work as hard as they have throughout this streak. It takes a lot of school pride and a lot of admiration for the players for the student body to turn out in big numbers when the team hasn't been winning.
I've been thinking about how much things might change for these boys when the streak finally ended. I'm sure they will walk a bit more proudly in school next week, probably with a little more swagger in their step. But what about the big picture? I can only keep in mind that these boys have been working hard each and every practice knowing that their efforts were not efforts in futility. They have proudly put on their uniforms for each and every game. They have run enthusiastically onto the field to compete every week. They have played with courage when the press made fun of them. They have held their heads high when opposing teams belittled them. They have earned the respect of the fans that filled our stadium to overflowing many times. In the big picture I don't think that much has changed at all. These young men have been winners for a very long time.
It was a great crowd. We have been having great crowds for a long time. It takes a lot of patience, a lot of courage, and a lot of school pride for the players to continue to work as hard as they have throughout this streak. It takes a lot of school pride and a lot of admiration for the players for the student body to turn out in big numbers when the team hasn't been winning.
I've been thinking about how much things might change for these boys when the streak finally ended. I'm sure they will walk a bit more proudly in school next week, probably with a little more swagger in their step. But what about the big picture? I can only keep in mind that these boys have been working hard each and every practice knowing that their efforts were not efforts in futility. They have proudly put on their uniforms for each and every game. They have run enthusiastically onto the field to compete every week. They have played with courage when the press made fun of them. They have held their heads high when opposing teams belittled them. They have earned the respect of the fans that filled our stadium to overflowing many times. In the big picture I don't think that much has changed at all. These young men have been winners for a very long time.
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