Last night I watched ESPN's High School Football featured game of the week.

I don't normally watch, because usually we're supporting our own HS team on Fridays, but me and the boys decided the Toreadors could wait a week, we wanted to see this game.

It was the opening weekend across Iowa and many states for High School Football.  None I doubt was like the opening game in Parkersburg Iowa.  Cross - county rival Dike - New Hartford came to town to play the Falcons of Aplington Parkersburg.  A game that's been played since consolidation of schools of the 4 towns within 10 miles of each other.  This game was different though.  

May 2008 an F5 tornado tore through Parkersburg.  A town of about 2,000 people, the tornado killed 6 people, injuring several others, and destroying over 200 homes, the school and many local businesses. 


The town pulled together.  This is a story of community, character, and faith.  One of the leaders of this community, a man who was one of those responsible for keeping the community together, was Ed Thomas, Falcons football coach.

Ed's had been the coach of Parkersburg for over 30 years.  He was a community leader, he epitomized character and integrity, and was beloved by the community, and his players (4 currently play in the NFL).  His coaching philosophy is summed up in one of his often quoted statements, "if all we ever do is teach you how to block and tackle, we've missed the whole thing".  Ed believed Football was a way to teach young men how to become men.  His players will tell you that coach prioritized life this way, Faith first, Family second, Football third. 


June 2009, a young man, former football player, walked into the locker room, put a gun to Ed's head, and pulled the trigger.  No one knows why this man brutally murdered his former coach and icon of Iowa High School football, but he event was felt state-wide, and maybe better understood across the country after Friday's ESPN broadcast.

I've lived in Iowa for about 10 years.  Originally from small town Nebraska, I've settled into this state and found it to be a great place to live and raise my kids.  There are certain things about Iowa that are difficult to describe.  Watching the football game last night many of those things came to light.  Parkersburg is like many towns across Iowa.  About 2,000 people, within an hour of a nice sized city, but far enough away to stay small town, more churches than bars (9 to 2 ratio in Parkersburg), nice people, low crime, slow pace.  But there's more.

I've learned living in Iowa that these small communities are like large families.  I'm still amazed at how close people are in these towns.  And when tragedy happens, like has happened in Parkersburg, that 'family' comes out in force.  

As me and my son were watching the program about Parkersburg and the game last night, both of us fighting tears because neither of us wanted to show weakness, we agreed that what we were watching was what epitomizes Iowa.

The community, still rebuilding after last years Tornado, pulled together again, and last night was evidence of just how far they've come.  The family of the man accused of murdering Ed was sitting in the stands, cheering for the youngest son (the brother of the accused) who was playing for the Parkersburg football team, forgiveness.  The wife and family of Ed was there watching, enjoying the game and supporting the team, perseverence.  Former players came from across the country to line up and cheer on the team as they took the field, community.  The team bowed heads and prayed together before the game, and the superintendent of the school asked for a moment of silence, faith.  The sons of Ed were there, one of them giving up a high paying job to come back to Parkersburg, support his mom, and take a job at the school to try and fill a small part of the void left by his Dad, humility.



It was a great story last night, quite a tear jerker, and pretty good football game, pretty average HS football.  But what got me most was the story behind the game.  I couldn't help but think, this is Iowa, this is why its our home.

So, the poll question is this, how would you describe your hometown?  Has an event happened that has shown the character of the community? 

USA Today article
Examiner article
ESPN Video
AP article on ESPN (Great article)
Aaron Thomas remembers his father video ESPN