Friday, October 16, 2009
Brothers share football tribulations
Ray Cox covers recreational, high school and college sports in the New River Valley. If you have information you’d like featured,
e-mail ray.cox@roanoke.com or call 381-1672
Ray Cox
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Brett McPherson was fired up out of his mind. One of the first things he wanted to do was call his younger brother Mark.
The McPherson brothers, Brett the football coach at Grayson County and Mark the bench boss over at Craig County, talk to each other four or five times a week usually.
"It's always about football," Mark said.
A week ago, Grayson County came from behind to defeat archrival Galax, 16-14. Omar Laretta scored two touchdowns and the Blue Devils defensive and special teams recorded a pair of safeties for the winners.
The winners.
How sweet is that?
After 17 straight losses, the streak-snapper was beyond exquisite.
Just as Brett was reaching for the cellphone to call Mark with the news, something stayed his hand. What if Mark and the Rockets had had another rough one? Craig County hadn't won a game yet this year and only two last year.
As bad as it had been going for Brett the last couple of years, Mark had lived through every bit of it and worse at Craig County.
Between the two of them, they'd presided over losing streaks that combined to stretch 44 games. Craig County snapped its 27-game skid last year with a win over district rival Covington. The last game of the season, the Rockets added a victory over Montcalm, W.Va.
The brothers worry about each other, especially during tough times. When the winds blow ill for both, inevitably, each will fret about the sibling's situation more than his own.
"When I win, and he doesn't win, it takes a little bit out of it," Brett said, "and I'm sure vice versa."
On this one night, the worries got drop-kicked right off the side of a mountain.
As the Devils were opening up their Mountain Empire District season with a flourish, Craig County was stopping Parry McCluer 9-7. That was the Pioneer District opener for both teams.
Brett had called their mother in New Castle first, so he knew the Rockets had won before he called little brother.
"It's been a long time since we both won on the same night," Brett said.
It's been a few years since the brothers left the football program at Eastern Montgomery going in opposite directions.
Brett had been the Mustangs head coach and Mark an assistant. During the McPherson administration, formerly downtrodden EastMont, the smallest school in the mighty Three Rivers District, had gone to the playoffs for the first time.
Brett took a job at William Monroe in Greene County and Mark went back to their alma mater Craig County to take charge of a program that's always struggled. The Rockets represent one of the smallest football-playing schools in the state.
A couple of years later, Brett took a job at Grayson County, a large school that had been the dominant program in the Mountain Empire District for a a number of years.
Then the talent there thinned.
As the losses mounted, each brother maintained his sanity by getting outside of his own skull.
Brett worried about his players. What's happening to their self-confidence? How are they dealing with the doubts of their community? What do they have to put up with from their peers?
For Mark, it was the same. Of course, he empathized with is brother.
"It's funny, but I think I was more concerned about him winning a game and he was more concerned about me winning a game than either of us was about himself," Mark said.
Always, they help each other as best they can.
Brett, who could motivate a tomcat to go for a swim, advises Mark about inspiring the troops. Mark shares scouting reports.
For example, when Craig County lost 13-0 to Galax on Sept. 25, he saw some things he thought might help Grayson County a couple of weeks down the line. His advice: keep plenty of heat on Maroon Tide quarterback Terrance Mazon and force him to make mistakes.
It was no coincidence that Mazon subsequently got sacked for a safety last week by the swarming Blue Devils defenders.
Even though the termination of the most recent Craig County losing streak was modest by historical standards, it was still a hugely satisfying result for the Rockets.
Parry McCluer was once the scourge of Group A (five state championships in 10 years) but, like Grayson County, has fallen into difficult circumstances in recent years.
In his six seasons at Craig County, Mark has gone .500 against the Fighting Blues.
"There was probably a time that they never could have imagined losing a football game to Craig County," he said. "And I feel sure that it still bothers them now."
This week has been reload and refocus time in both New Castle and Independence.
The Blue Devils are 1-6 and the Rockets 1-5. They're both 1-0 in their districts, though. Craig County has Montcalm this week; Grayson will go to Mountain Empire rival Bland County prepped by Mark's scouting report. The Bears edged Craig County 28-21 in Game 2.
Both the McPherson brothers are optimistic. They always are.
"It's hard to make any bold predictions after one victory in your last 18 tries, but I think we're going to be right in the thick of things," Brett said. "We've got some to the scrappiest kids I've ever dealt with."
Not one but two programs bounced up off the scrap heap this week.
"Best weekend I've had in a long, long time," Brett said.
