in meets by coach mike on
09 Nov 2008
Not quite sure what to say. Its almost like a dream. Already seems like a long time ago. We left around 9 am Friday November 7th, but we really started the journey long before. For these men and boys, the journey started years ago. When they first decided to be racers. I do know some of their back grounds, the guys from Selmaville could of started in 3rd or 4th grade. Jordan waited until 8th grade I think? Not sure of some of the rest. Maybe they were just looking for something to do, something to be a part of. But this groups real journey started last fall, the fall of 2007. The launch sight was Centralia Foundation Park. I still remember the looks, the eyes toward the ground. I still remember my misty eyes that day. Toughest part of a coach is telling your team the season is over, over to soon. Unlike most sports, you know, you can see the score board, you know the numbers. But not cross country. Not when its close, when you are on that bubble, floating around waiting to hear the numbers. That day, I needed to tell my guys, I knew that we were close, but I knew not close enough. Also there was the issue of my be Jordan making it out as an individual, I also knew that had not happen. So as I met the guys on their “cool down”, while there was still hope in their hearts, its was my job to break that bubble and break those young hearts. Toughest part of being a coach, to some how tell the team, they were not good enough on that day. We had a good strong talk that afternoon, just us, no parents, no friends, just the team in our locker room of trees and leaves. We had only one senior on the team, so there would be time to re group to make a plan, to change, to set our sights on the next season. So though we departed SCHS at 9 am November 7th, our trip really started that Saturday at the end of October in 2007. And what a trip it has been! We won the Murpshysboro Invite, We placed well at Granite City, We won Herrin Invite, 2nd at Mt. Vernon. Olney Invite was another 2nd. These were nice achievements, but only warm ups for what we were really looking and working for. Our first goals on the schedule was the Apollo Conference Championships, the year before we had stumbled at home, that was not going to happen again. Our goal was to dominate the conference meet, just not to win but as they say “kick butt and take names.” Not sure we quite dominated but we did easily win, putting 3 guys on the all conference team. The most important thing that happened here was the return of Jacob Kubicki, Jacob had been up and down all season, and finally got back on the up side, finishing 10th. We now also had two top runners in Jordan Jones and Cory Nix! The pieces of the puzzles started to look like they might fit together. Post season was just around the corner, and as a coach I liked what I was seeing. The workouts by the whole team were getting better, I starting to see some focus. As a team we were starting to see the road and could see what was at the end of that road! We were now keying on the regional, Mt. Vernon was the favorite, the race was on their home course, a course we really did like that well. We raced well that day, but I knew still not well enough and I also knew we could be better! We lost to Mt. Vernon that day by 4 points. I don’t think anyone thought we were that close, I knew it close, but as much as we would of loved to take home that IHSA Regional Championship plaque, we were in search of something bigger! The way this game is played in post season, is with 5’s. You have to be top 5 to move on, so being 2 at the regional moved us to the next stop. The IHSA sectional at Centralia. Twenty teams from as far north as Springfield, Champaign and Danville, all twenty wanting one of those 5 spots. We weren’t “ranked” in the top 5, the ranking poll had us at 8th maybe, with a good day. Only thing that pollster didn’t know, was we had started this journey a long time ago! It had been 10 years since Salem had a team at the state cross country meet and this group of young men had a plan! As the race unfolded, I could tell we were in a good position, Nix and Jones were racing like mad men, Kubicki was hanging on as long as he could, as the calvary was heading toward him with reinforcements! Those reinforcements were freshman Jacob Heser and crazy guy Thomas Goff, moving as fast as the two of them could. Thomas knew what was at stake, he had been in the battles before, both in cross and track, young Heser had no idea, he was just racing to beat people! Every good team always has a mix of young and old. Experienced warriors and young guns looking to make a name. This team has had that all year. They have battled both on and off the race courses, this is what has made this team what they are. Warriors! Wildcats! Winners! Different personalities, some quiet, some loud. Some crazy, some mild. But when it came time to race, they gave all they had, when that gun sounded for the big race. This Saturday in Centralia was different, there was no cool down, there was only waiting. Waiting is the worse part, not knowing for sure will eat your stomach away, I thought they would never post the numbers! When I saw Mater Dei celebrate, my heart sunk a little, but then I was hearing 3rd, I had never been so happy in my whole life to be 3rd! There was lots of back slapping, hugging, some tears, hand shakes, our journey continued! So we left Friday November 7th to head north, one of 21 teams to make the trip for our place in on that starting line. That line where so many great runners had stood and waited for that clean start. Where that last Salem team ten years ago had stood. No matter what the out come was, no matter the weather, no matter what disappointments we might have had with our races that day, none of that matters! Just remember the moment when you toed that line in Peoria, that noon on November 8th, 2008, that the long journey was over for the season of 2008. For the seniors; Jordan Jones, Jacob Kubicki, and Tyler Hopkins, the finish of a high school career, for Cory Nix, Thomas Goff and the rest of the returning crazy crew the start of another journey! That is if you are willing to test the road! Thanks for letting me be a part of your journey!