Here's a neat story about high school football, and how a small town program has become a source of pride for a local community.

Their photos are on the cards traded over at the elementary school, and their exploits are on the lips of the old men who gather at the Second Cup Cafe each morning. They are the sons and grandsons of this north Kansas town, and for 30 autumns now, the Smith Center Redmen have puffed up the chests of folks here.

They are a high school football team, a superb one that has won 51 games in a row and three consecutive state championships, and has outscored opponents this season, 704-0. They are more than that, however, to the 1,931 people here who all know one anotherÂ’s names: The Redmen are proof that hard work and accountability still mean something.

The trading cards, for example, are not about hero worship. Each player and cheerleader signs a contract pledging to remain alcohol-, drug- and tobacco-free. If they break that promise, they must go to the elementary school to explain to the children why they were kicked off their team, and their cards are revoked.

Interest in the town’s youth is not limited to worshipful talk in its cafes, either. As many adults cruise Main Street as teenagers on weekends, and the Jiffy Burger remains a nexus for three generations of Smith Center denizens — except for Friday night, of course, when the Redmen (10-0) will travel to Oakley (11-0) to face the Plainsmen in a playoff game.

“What we do around here real well is raise kids,” Smith Center Coach Roger Barta said. “In fact, we do such a good job at it — and I’m talking about the parents and community — that they go away to school and succeed, and then pursue opportunities in the bigger cities.

“None of this is really about football,” he added. “We’re going to get scored on eventually, and lose a game, and that doesn’t mean anything. What I hope we’re doing is sending kids into life who know that every day means something.”

I've noticed the connection between athletics and making responsible citizens. At the school where I teach, athletes are held to a high standard, and we have seen well-over a hundred young men reach college on football scholarships that allow them educational opportunities they might not have gotten otherwise. Our other sports programs have had similar, if smaller, success. It sounds like Coach Barta of Smith Center, Kansas, has accomplished something similar with his program, which is as more important in my eyes than the phenomenal athletic success.

I'll be pulling for the Smith Center Redmen this weekend, hoping that they can manage another undefeated season and a 52-0 winning streak -- just as I will with my own school's shot at a seventh straight undefeated regular season.

Posted by: Greg at 12:24 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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