Bo Brooks is tackled by a trio of Fruitland defenders. Photo by Clayton Bunt

Michael Welch punts. Photo by Clayton Bunt

Seth Melton recovers an onside kick late in the fourth quarter. Photo by Clayton Bunt

Fruitland 67–Orofino 6rrr…7 (say it fast)

By Ron Hanes

   I thought Welch’s kick was good, but the refs didn’t think so. That wasn’t the only thing Maniac fans found to disagree with over the officiating at Fruitland in the 3A quarter-final match-up last Friday, but it didn’t really matter. Whether good or not, the kick made little difference as the Maniacs saw their ’09 football season end with a resounding 67–6 defeat.

Goliath and David

   The lights were already on and the tailgate parties were setting up an hour and a half before game time. The closest parking lots were already packed and the stands on the Fruitland side were filling with fans. There were T shirts, hats, coats, and memorabilia of all sorts for sale…raffles, burgers, and banners.

   As it neared game time the teams entered the arena, the Grizzlies with 40 players, the Maniacs with 16. The 100 members of the Fruitland High School pep band fired up their fight song as they marched smartly onto the field. The coin was flipped, the lineups were introduced, and with 35 Maniac fans watching, huddled, backs to a cold wind….Goliath slew David.

   “We were out-matched,” acknowledged Orofino’s head coach, Galen Kuykendall. “That happens sometimes when the smallest school in the league goes up against the largest.” (Note: Orofino will be moving back to the 2A next year, while Fruitland will likely move up to 4A in the very near future.)

Happy coaches–proud fans

   “I told the kids on the bus ride home to not let this be a mar on what they have accomplished,” the Maniac coach continued. “I, along with the other (Orofino) coaches, am extremely happy with what the team accomplished this year. It was quite a feat to finish second in the IML (Inter Mountain League). Several sophomores really helped out all season on the varsity as the five seniors contributed, not only with their athleticism, but also with their leadership. We are all pretty excited with what the kids accomplished. It is something they should be proud of.”

   I encouraged all the seniors at various times throughout the season to answer up for sports and I asked them: Why we, as taxpayers, should foot the bill for sports when we can barely afford to operate our schools. I got a variety of answers: “It keeps me out of trouble. I don’t have time to get in trouble. It teaches the value of hard work, discipline, and team work. You learn to be an example to others. It made me a better citizen.”

   There were lots of good answers but I felt one of Jessie Faler’s was appropriate as this group of young men displayed it to its fullest last Friday night in Fruitland. He said, “It gives the community something to be proud of.” There was not one of those 35 Orofino fans leaving Fruitland any less proud to be from Orofino. The team was tired and beat up, but they were never beat and they never gave up. They lost with dignity and gave their fans, as well as their community, every reason to be proud.

End of the season, end of an era

   Coach Kuykendall concluded, “I felt we showed up a little flat. We would have had to have had our best game to compete with these guys. They were extremely athletic and fast. We had tough games the last three weeks, and with all the traveling, we just got wore out. We faced opponents who had 40 and 50 kids with only 14 or15 players suited up week after week and it just got to a point where we were wore down from the prior weeks. It was tough to have the season end this way, but the kids should be very proud of all they did accomplish.”

   Next year the Maniacs move back into the 2A Central Idaho League (CIL) with old rivals, Grangeville and Kamiah. Damn, it’s nice to be back home again.

The 2009 Orofino Maniac varsity football team members are (l to r): back row, Seth Melton, Stephan Heibert, Jesse Faler, Nick Pomponio, Garth Schilling, Michael Welch, Bo Brooks, Jack Vaage, Ethan Gillian and Tyler Meeks; front row, Dylan Ford, Joe Montambo, Jason Thompson, Chandler Lytle, Thad Goodrich, Mario Zuniga, Otto Taufen and Jeremy Raff.  Not pictured are Coaches Galen Kuykendall, Tony Snyder, Randy Brooks, Jack Maetche and Garett Bretz. Photo by Daphne Faler

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OHS soccer awards  banquet

   Parents of high school soccer players and players are invited to the annual soccer awards banquet Thurs, Nov. 12, at the OHS cafe at 6 p.m. approx. Coaches will hand out awards and letters and we will view a slide show of the season.

   If you have not been contacted yet to bring a dish or help out in some small way, please contact Kathy Pence at 476-9428. She will need to know how many family members to expect as well.

   This is a fun evening to celebrate the kids accomplishments this past season and thank the coaches. Please come join us if you have an OHS soccer player this year. 

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