It was a Sunday evening like any other in the Lover house, when the phone rang. Constance called up to Ernest, who was putting their daughter to bed, to say that it was Coach Cares on the line. This was an unexpected treat, since it had been over a month since Ernest had last spoken with Coach Cares, right after Ernest’s brother Keane was drafted into the DSFL. Coach Cares had been instrumental to Ernest’s life, helping him through difficult times in high school and shaping him into the competitive athlete that had helped him secure a career in football. So, when Ernest picked up the phone, it was a blow to hear that Coach Cares was resigning from his role as head coach of his home town’s Ripley High School football team. Coach Cares had been diagnosed with colon cancer and was stepping away from his duties to receive treatment. He asked if Ernest would fly up from Sarasota to West Virginia to coach the team in their final game of the season. Ernest immediately agreed and made plans to visit Coach while he was back home as well.
It was Tuesday evening and the Ripley Vikings were taking on the Lewis County High School Minutemen. The Vikings were already eliminated from any post-season games and so few expected them to put up much of a fight against the Minutemen. Ernest could see that the players were rattled with the sudden loss of Coach Cares and so he sat them down before the game in the locker room and he said: “Coach Cares is not giving up in his fight against cancer. And tonight, we will do him the greatest honor we can muster and not give up this fight. Win or lose, we will go out there and play football the way that Coach Cares has taught us all — even me.” Ernest called an aggressive game plan, pushing on tough 3rd and long and even 4th down situations, catching the other team off guard. The underdog Vikings put themselves into a position where they could win with a last-minute field goal. While they missed the kick, the hometown crowd still cheered. It was a personal victory for all of the players, and for Ernest. But he found himself emotionally exhausted and looked forward to going back to being a player rather than a Coach.
It was Tuesday evening and the Ripley Vikings were taking on the Lewis County High School Minutemen. The Vikings were already eliminated from any post-season games and so few expected them to put up much of a fight against the Minutemen. Ernest could see that the players were rattled with the sudden loss of Coach Cares and so he sat them down before the game in the locker room and he said: “Coach Cares is not giving up in his fight against cancer. And tonight, we will do him the greatest honor we can muster and not give up this fight. Win or lose, we will go out there and play football the way that Coach Cares has taught us all — even me.” Ernest called an aggressive game plan, pushing on tough 3rd and long and even 4th down situations, catching the other team off guard. The underdog Vikings put themselves into a position where they could win with a last-minute field goal. While they missed the kick, the hometown crowd still cheered. It was a personal victory for all of the players, and for Ernest. But he found himself emotionally exhausted and looked forward to going back to being a player rather than a Coach.