Following Iola’s last football game against Baxter Springs, Iola strength coach Beau Foster told the players they struggled at tackling, by far Iola’s biggest weakness, because they did not put in enough time in the weight room.
I wanted to cheer him on like a Southern Pentecostal church worshiper. I wanted to give him an affirmative “mm-hmmm” or shout “Preach it brother,” with some boisterous clapping.
Iola’s 2-7 record was bad. But the Mustangs are not bad football players.
They made the same boneheaded mistakes as any other high school team, but lacked one aspect — the goon. In modern parlance, gooning has a different meaning. When I grew up, it meant a feat of strength and little skill. An example of the goon is Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake.”
In 2011, while playing for the New Orleans Saints, Lynch busted through the hole for a 67-yard touchdown. Over 11 seconds, Lynch became a real life version of Popeye the Sailor, manhandling opposing players one after the other until reaching the goal line, diving backwards into the end zone while grabbing his crotch for the game-winning touchdown. While not exactly good sportsmanship, it was an exquisite display of goonery.
The weight room is where players unlock his or her inner goon. Iola coach David Daugharthy runs laps around me with his knowledge of football. My observational skill comes from covering sports of all levels in Kansas, Missouri, Texas, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Indiana and more for more than a decade. He has practical experience. I have observational experience. He is a sports general; I am a sports historian, so the following is not a critique. It’s an observation.
The state-level football programs I’ve covered live in the weight room. Like rock, paper, scissors — goon overtakes skill every time. When goon and skill are combined, this is where the DI college talent comes from, where NFL players begin.
It’s hard to admit, but most of the teams who beat Iola were mediocre at best. With no insult intended, a solid effort in the weight room and commitment by next year’s roster could put Iola in the running for a Pioneer League title.
I saw skilled Iola players frequently fall to goon moves, but that can change by next year. I’ve seen it happen. It’s hard to commit to a team who hasn’t had a winning season in nine years. Less than half of last year’s juniors played football as seniors, so it’s up to next year’s seniors and juniors to turn it around. It’s not easy being the rock that breaks the wave, but it has to start somewhere, so why not now?
