Remember today.
To my nephew Kevin Stewart, who will quarterback Franklin's football team in its first-round Division II state playoff game tomorrow night, I say remember today.
Remember the buzz you helped create around your school and in your community, which brings everyone together in a common spirit. Remember the pride you felt when putting on your #12 jersey, the same number you've worn since you were just a kid. And remember the excitement you've helped generate within your own family.
Remember today, always. Because we sure will.
The Stewart side of Kevin's family is now and always has been Wildcat crazy. His grandparents (Terry and Sharon) met while they attended Franklin High School back in 1960, and married a year later. His parents (Terry Wayne and my sister Jenny) started dating when they were sophomores at Franklin High School back in 1978, and have been together ever since.
They're all there on Friday nights, plus Kevin's sisters, Sara and Alison, and his Aunt Tammy. Uncles Scotty and David and their families have been there in both person and spirit.
But the Kirby side of Kevin's family is different. We're a more blended family because my brother Joe and I live with our families in Springboro. That means we pull off what has never been accomplished in the history of all mankind. Whether it's for Aunt Julie's birthday or for Thanksgiving or for just helping Mamaw Pat move some furniture, we bring Springboro Panthers and Franklin Wildcats into the same room, without police escort, and yet no one leaves with a bloody nose. Can you believe that?
All of our kids actually get along (above L-R Sara Stewart, Chloe Kirby, Kevin, Sophie Kirby, Alison Stewart). All of their friends do, too, like Oscar and Storm, who look so cute together.
Shhh...let's keep this between us. There's got to be a law somewhere that forbids it.
THIS FALL, WE'VE COME together in particular because of Kevin and his teammates. Like all of our children, he's bright, personable, considerate and hard-working, which is reason enough for us to be proud of him, as we are with all of them.
But Kevin has generated an extra dash of excitement because of what's been happening on the football field. He and his teammates went 9-1 this season, good enough for a league championship and now a berth in the playoffs, which only happens to the best of the best.
It's been impressive, but at the same time also a little mysterious. When did that little kid who used to cracks jokes and steal the last piece of cake grow up to be so big and talented?
It's one thing for him to be on the team -- we'd be proud of him just for that. But it's an altogether different thing for "little Kevin" to be so darn good at what he does. He's fun to watch. He's got a strong arm and good sense about him, which makes him a team leader, not so much with a rah-rah let’s-get-fired-up kind of style, but with a cool confidence and a quiet humility that says “We’re all in this thing together and we’re coming out right side up, okay? Who's with me?” And his teammates naturally respond to him.
Three times this season, the ‘Cats have gone into the locker room at halftime looking at the wrong end of the score. But three times this season, the ‘Cats came roaring back to win, with the highlight coming three weeks ago against the 6-1 Eaton Eagles in one of the best games I've seen in a long time. Good defense and good coaching are among the reasons for that, I’m sure, but having a good quarterback is part of it, too.
Kevin doesn’t get rattled. He also doesn’t look for the credit. He just wants to help everyone get the job done, and they they definitely got the job done this regular season. For that, they all deserve any of the recognition that comes their way. Now the challenge of the playoffs await.
I can’t tell you how much fun this season has been, for Kevin, for Wildcat fans, and for our family.
I’VE BEEN AROUND FOOTBALL my whole life, and I write about it a lot. When I wrote “The Heart of the Panthers,” I recounted the excitement of a 12-year-old boy who dreams of one day being the varsity quarterback. If it’s true that little girls dream of their wedding day, then little boys dream of throwing touchdowns.
Then when I wrote “Once A Wildcat, Always A Wildcat,” I made the lead character an aging ex-Franklin quarterback (#12, not coincidentally), who comes to grips with what he thought he grew out of -- the fondness all grown men have of looking back at our playing days, when we were in great shape and in the throes of competition, which we thrive on. Years later, we forget what night is trash night, but yet we remember every little thing about a game we played 30 years ago.
I became a Wildcat when my family moved from Springboro to Franklin when I was in eighth grade. My experiences of practicing and playing and proudly representing my town will always stay with me. As a result, I’ll always be a Wildcat, no matter where I live.
Kevin allows me to remember all of that. But right now, he's living all of it.
When he woke up this morning, he woke up with the knowledge that his years of hard work have already paid off. He woke up with some memories of teammates and events that will stay with him for the rest of his life. And he woke up with the anticipation that he and his teammates still have another huge opportunity in front of them, something that isn’t given to everybody.
Cherish it. Embrace it. Remember it. Remember the pee wee players who yell out your name and spend all weekend trying to throw a pass just like you do. Remember the smiles you've put on lifelong Wildcat fans, who've waited patiently through some lean years to watch a season like this one. And remember the guidance you've received from good coaches who've only wanted you to be the best you can be.
To my nephew Kevin, remember all of these things. You've earned it.
So, as someone who knows he has the right to remain silent and that anything I say can be used against me, let me nonetheless say something on behalf of the Springboro Panthers in my family.
Go ‘Cats.