There are plenty of great sports movies ó ìRocky,” ìField of Dreams” and ìRemember the Titans” are just a few of my favorites.
However, last Saturday was a day in which no movie could capture its real essence. It was definitely one of those ìyou had to be there” type of days. It was, quite arguably, one of the greatest days in Wooster sports history.
On that Saturday, three key home games were held ó football, field hockey and menís basketball.
Yes, itís been a trying season for Fighting Scots football. On Senior Day last Saturday, the Scots came in to the game against the Oberlin College Yeomen with a humble record of 4-4. The Scots may have easily handed Oberlin their eighth loss of the season, but the real story is something straight out of any feel-good sports movie.
With a comfortable lead built up in the fourth quarter, Scots head coach Mike Schmitz relieved starting quarterback Austin Holter í10 with a little bit of a lesser known name. Chad Parker í10 had been on the squad for four years, and never thrown a touchdown pass. Up 45-7 at the time, Schmitz felt it appropriate to give Parker that shot. With 8:33 left in the fourth quarter, Parker connected to another senior in Will Hansen í10 for a 53-yard touchdown pass.
Try to imagine, if you will, going through four years of football pre-season workouts, practices, footage reviews, away games, only to have almost none of that hard work transfer over into game action. When Parker connected to Hansen for his first career touchdown, the Papp Stadium absolutely erupted in cheers. Parkerís touchdown put the Scots up 52-7, but the game meant a lot more than winning and losing. This game was in honor of the leaders of the Fighting Scot football team, the seniors, and to that you canít help but applaud.
If that wasnít enough of a feel-good story for one afternoon, field hockey took on Ohio Wesleyan University immediately after the football game. The Scots met the Battling Bishops in the NCAC championship match, with the winner advancing to the NCAA national tournament.
The word ìtense” would be an understatement in describing the game. Brittany Montgomery í10 provided the only offense of the day ó for both teams. I may know next to nothing about field hockey, but I saw the intensity left out on the field. In the press box, one could hear coach Brenda Meese as well as the other players hollering words of encouragement ó they wanted to win that game. The Scots held on to win, bringing another NCAC title to the Collegeís trophy case.
The highlight of the day for me, however, came later that evening when the Kent State Golden Flashes came to Wooster for a pre-season basketball matchup. This event marked the first time a Div. I opponent had stepped on the Wooster campus as well as the first time general public could catch a glimpse of the 2009-2010 Fighting Scots.
While both teams looked to hone their skills before the regular season started, the game itself took a seat to a cause much more important than basketball itself.
All proceeds made from the game were donated to the Corey John Cline Fund, a fund set up in honor of Corey Cline, the late son of Fighting Scots assistant head coach Doug Cline. The Fund helps children in Wayne County who were not as fortunate as Corey, and on Saturday the teams raised more than $5,000 for this great cause.
Three-year-old Corey was tragically lost in a car accident this past February, in the midst of the basketball season. The support that the Wooster community showed after the accident was beyond grateful, and on Saturday they proved once again that they still cared.
Not only did people show up to see a Div. I opponent take on the Scots, but they showed up to voice their support for assistant coach Doug Cline. Before the announcement of the stating lineups, the microphone was handed over to Coach Cline. Before he could voice his appreciation to the fans and to the referees who donated their game-checks to the fund, he was greeted by a 45-second standing ovation from those in attendance. It was a moment in which one couldnít help but smile.
The outcome of the game was rather unimportant, but there were numerous positives to take out of it. The Scots at one point in the first half held a 10-point lead over the Golden Flashes. Newcomers Josh Claytor í13 and Jake Mays í13 made an impression on the Wooster faithful, scoring several significant baskets and grabbing some big rebounds.
All of these events combined created a day that I, as well as other members of the Wooster community, wonít soon forget. There were too many smiles to take out of the day, from the events of the football Senior Day, to the Scots winning another NCAC title, to the honoring of a Wooster coach and his son. On Saturday The College of Wooster proved that they are a strong sports communityóthey proved that they are a strong sports family.