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Stark County Rebels take runner-up at State
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By Jason Musselman
lynda@countyenews.com
It’s no secret. If towns all across rural America had to pick one sport to keep, it would be football. There’s just something about the atmosphere that none of the other sports have. It might be that fact there’s a week long build up to just one game per week or all the cheering and yelling we can do when it comes game time. Or maybe the way it brings a community together. Either way, whenever you can make that excitement last longer than nine weeks, it is definitely a good thing. Prior to the Milledgeville game, I had only seen two halves of Stark County football - the second half of the homecoming game and the first half of the Orangeville game. So I’m certainly not an expert on the team. But what I did do was embed myself with the team to capture the behind-the-scenes stories of the team’s historic trip to State.
While many of you were cooking the turkey and preparing for the in-laws on Thanksgiving morning, the Rebels were on the practice field. If you want to be the best, you have to work at it, and that means that even on Thanksgiving, especially since it would be the team’s last practice before Friday’s game.
But by 9:30 a.m. the team was finished for the day and could eat and relax before calling it an early night.
Friday morning, 4:55 a.m. Parents and fans had breakfast prepared and ready in the high school cafeteria, just like they have for all the away playoff games. The moms had also once again assembled goodies bags for the players, complete with snacks and even some Chinese finger traps.
At 5:30 a.m. a caravan consisting of the coaches’ van, 14 parents’ vehicles, Stark County, Toulon, and Wyoming police cars and LaFayette, Toulon and Wyoming fire departments led the team bus from the high school and out of Stark County in a fitting send off to Champaign, which is just over two hours and a direct shot via Interstate 74.
After arriving at Memorial Stadium there was only one thing to do – get ready to go out and play to the best of your ability.
Unfortunately no one got to use Illinois’ locker room and so the team was placed in the university’s newly remodeled recreation facility called “ARC”, which is located just to the north of Memorial Stadium.
In a classroom within the building, Head Coach Jade Noard addressed the team before taking the field.
“You’ve had all your lives to dream about it. You had all week to think about it. Now you gotta make it happen. Now you make it happen.”
You could feel the passion in the room. Since August, football was the only thing these kids knew. Basketball was on hold. Hanging out with friends was limited and free time was hard to come by.
Leaving the locker room, Coach Noard told the team there was still 15 minutes or so before the game started because they had to do the introductions and wait for TV broadcasters (more on that in a bit), so he didn’t want them too fired up quite yet. But it was hard for most to not leave the room at least excited, if not a little nervous too.
Game time. Even though it was the state championship on the line, it was still just a football game. Both teams still had to play 48 minutes – nothing was guaranteed.
Two things plagued the Rebels. Triopia’s size and penalties. Both had a snowball effect. The longer the game went on, the more Triopia wore down Stark County. Same for penalties. After one, you get frustrated and get another.
In the end, the Rebels gave a gallant effort and just played a really good team. The obvious frustration that ensued was clear. To work so hard at something and to be so close was heartbreaking.
But nevertheless, Coach Noard, Athletics Director and Asst. Coach Scott Paxson and captains Greg Daum, Nick Rumbold, Ky Paxson and Luke Turnbull accepted a well deserved second place trophy. And with somber hearts they held it and watched Triopia accept theirs.
In the post game interview, Coach Noard echoed the thoughts of many. He pointed to some of the mental mistakes, but in general, Triopia was just a bigger, more powerful team.
He also wanted this to build an appetite for next year’s team, but at the same time have them realize that nothing is guaranteed. They to will have to work hard and have the same passion and will to win to make it back to State.
The team then regrouped in their locker room before heading to “Tent City”, a catered meal under a tent, where fans had stuck around to greet the players and show their support.
I mentioned earlier how football brings communities together, and I repeat it here. It warms the heart seeing so many people support the team. Yes, it’s just a game, but it’s what the game teaches that matters. And the communities’ support shows they care.
From the massive caravans and receptions, be it 11 p.m. or 5 a.m., to an almost packed gym for a pep rally which greeted the team with a standing ovation, to the countless volunteers and businesses that donated, this is what makes small communities fun (see our message board, kudos board for a complete list).
Nick Rumbold mentioned this at the reception Sunday night, but I’m going to repeat it here. On the way to Milledgeville the bus was greeted once by Melanie Boudreau at the Toulon Cemetery. She was standing outside of her van waving and cheering.
Then, 10 minutes later we are driving along and east of Elmira we see a gray van and what do you know? Melanie had taken the back roads to beat us there to cheer the team on shopping locally and is offering essentially the same program as before. Simply shop at any local Wyoming merchant, record your purchase and drop your information in a holiday-decorated box/ can. Each Friday evening, one more time. And it may have made the difference.
I’m sure there are plenty more stories just like this that are symbolic of what the team’s epic run meant for the community. Just like it did in 1997.
Hanging out in the locker room with the coaches after the game, Coach Gabe Barta said to the others, “Hey, we set out to play 14 games, and we did. You can’t play anymore than that.”
Indeed you can’t and there’s nothing to be ashamed of or any reason to hang your head. Yes, the game didn’t turn out the way we all wanted it to, but like I said in the award ceremony video, 51,373 kids played IHSA football this year. All of them would have done anything to trade spots.
And now to some unfinished business. For those of you at home, you might have heard the on-air com ment of one of the broadcasters. When coming back from a commercial he was caught saying Stark County sucks.
Obviously this is very unprofessional and angered many in the community. The IHSA has released a statement, which can be viewed on our message board and elsewhere in this week’s paper, apologizing and stating the broadcaster is no longer to be affiliated with the IHSA. Regardless, the comment was uncalled for and the announcer meant to say it, so an apology seems like a suppressant. I can assure you concerned fans and administration members are dealing with the issue. The award ceremony video that I mentioned early can be viewed at countynews.com along with photos documenting the entire day.
