The Frost Line (90 hits)
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Submitted by calbearspolo (View user info) at 2006-10-24 11:56:12 EDT
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"Red!"
Uh oh though Dale, an audible. Listen closely. Got to get it right.
"Red!"
Alright, what's the number?
"45!"
Fullback run. Five hole, I'll have to cross block here now to open for the running back. Got it.
"Red 45!"
Got it. Got it, I hear you, I'm ready. Running back, then fullback through the five hole.
"Hike!"
____________________
Newton Falls was a small town by almost anyone's standards. With a total population of only 16,437; the local high school has just over a thousand kids. There are two markets at opposite ends of the town, both owned by the Martellini family. The movie house has only one screen, but the theater is beautiful inside with it's painted murals and rich comfortable chairs. Tiller park, next to city hall, was named for the city's oldest known resident, as was the tire shop two blocks down. Main street is lined with poplars and maples, whose leaves change color every football season. Ah yes, football season.
For three months every year, the town would transform. Not that it was a boring place the other nine months, but the passion that existed for high school football could be felt in the air. Almost like a static that crackled right before a rainstorm. Parents and neighbors helped out with bake sales for team uniforms, recent graduates volunteered as little league coaches, and the fire department donated drivers to get the team to away games in Akron, Canton, and Youngstown. The field was maintained to immaculate precision by the freshman players, proudly and without complaint. Yes, everyone would pull together in anticipation of those Friday nights in the fall--because of one man: Byron Frost.
Coach Frost had played two years of professional football before he went into the SEAL program. Gritty and strong willed, he received commendation for his bravery and 7 years of service. A well-placed sniper shot pushed him into honorable discharge, where he had settled in Newton Falls 23 years ago. He took a job as the history teacher for the local school, and to make a little extra money agreed to coach the football program. For every one of those 23 years, he came back, coaching the young minds of the small town and molding them into strong, proud, professional men both on and off the field.
Frost's accomplishments could be viewed between the hours of 9:00 and 3:00 in the main display case at the community center, but his impact went far deeper than basic trophies. When he arrived 23 years ago, there was no real team to speak of. The 17 guys who showed up at try-outs had to play both ways for most of that first season, going 1-8 in the league. The only team they beat that year was from independence High because of a forfeit, the flu had knocked out half the team. 5 years later, the Newton Falls Tigers were league champions for the first of 14 times. The first year was the hardest, but Frost systematically rebuilt the program from the ground up with military-like efficiency and attention to detail.
It wasn't hard, really, in retrospect. He simply instilled a sense of pride and commitment in the players. It was the small things: curfews were imposed to ensure well-rested athletes, volunteer hours within the community were mandatory for playing time, and suits and ties were required when traveling to any away game. The kids became passionate about being a part of something bigger than themselves, something successful and worthy of their time and pain. Oh yes, there was pain. Frost's workouts were on par with some of the best collegiate level programs, a notorious fact up and down the fields of Ohio. They were long, hard and never over before sunset. Guys would come back from hell-week as men--battle tested, blood and sweat stained men. The flaky coal attitudes and bodies were crushed into the diamonds that made the Tigers so successful. This year, "the twins" were amongst the most brilliant of them.
____________________
Dale Frost was what every Ohio high school football player wanted to be. Well, for the most part. With his father the coach, it was inevitable that he would play the game. No one would have guessed, however, how good he would have been at it. All-state for the last two years, his Sophomore and Junior, he was a shoe-in for his last. His shaggy blond hair and toothy grin made him stand out in a crowd. It also didn't hurt that he was 6'6" and 245 lbs.
Devin Frost was his brother, his twin, and shared the physical stature. Together, they composed the right side of the offensive line for the Tigers as the right tackle and right guard. They played both interchangeably, but no one every could really tell the difference anyway. Two hulking football jerseys with "Frost" sewn onto the back were enough to intimidate and anchor what affectionately became known as "The Frost Line."
Growing up in the household of the famed coach, one might think that the Frost twins would have a warped sense of the importance of football, and of their place within its framework, but Byron was always careful to leave the coaching on the field and teach his boys the importance of their academics and civic duty. Straight A's were expected, not a surprise, and the two were frequently the face(s) of the local branch of the SPCA for stray animals. People loved the boys, and they loved the only town they had ever known. Don't misunderstand, the two got into plenty of mischief and were well known pranksters, but always in good fun. Dale was once caught with his hands up Anita Morgan's sweater behind the gym and claimed to be conducting a breast exam for the school's awareness week. The teacher who caught them laughed so hard he felt he couldn't write them up, but he did require Dale to distribute pink ribbons that weekend in front of city hall. Anita just giggled and made sure to be more discrete the next time. Yes, the boys were standouts, and their dad a local hero.
And then, time was up.
Halfway through Dale and Devin's senior year, coach Frost announced his departure from football at the end of the season. He had given 23 years to the program, raised his two boys to be stars on the team and after their senior season he would hand over the program to the assistant coach. The town was saddened, but understood. Every legacy must end, including Byron Frost's, but they cringed at the thought of losing the man who had transformed their small town from a pit-stop on the way to Cleveland to the powerhouse that it was. He had literally put the town on the map with his football program. So, with every game that season, the entire town came to show their support, and will the team's season one game longer so they could keep their coach for a little more time. After each win, cheerleaders would hang out of honking cars, the local radio station would play the Tiger fight song, and Jimmy's Burger Shack served cheeseburgers to anyone wearing the school colors.
____________________
So, on a chilly October evening, right before Halloween, Dale, Devin, and the rest of the Tigers were tied in the state championship game. It was cliché, yes, but they were down by 5 with less than two minutes remaining on the clock. They needed a touchdown. So when the defending defense from Fallbroke High showed a weak side blitz, bringing both a safety and a back over to the left side, Josh Marcooley yelled the audible:
"Red!"
Uh oh though Dale, an audible. Listen closely. Got to get it right.
"Red!"
Alright, what's the number?
"45!"
Fullback run. Five hole, I'll have to cross block here now to open for the running back. Got it.
"Red 45!"
Got it. Got it, I hear you, I'm ready. Running back, then fullback through the five hole.
"Hike!"
A 19 yard run and 1:32 later, the Tigers were the Ohio State Champions. Byron went on to be the organizer for the Pop-Warner league, quietly remaining in football. Devin went to Ohio State, and because an all-pro guard with the Miami Dolphins. Dale, well, he ended up getting his hands under Anita's sweater a few more times, and they both live in a nice house were he can walk to his games with the Seahawks.
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Submitted by TheUniter (user info) at 2007-06-05 12:22:13 EDT (#)
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