Above: Carrying the football, fleet-footed Andy Borud takes the ball up field against the Blue team for a nice gain. Left: Looking at a sea of white jerseys, Mark Marxen looks for an opening, picking up about five hard-earned yards on the play.
White team quarterback Miles Drake, Class of 2009, took the snap from center, faked a hand-off and sprinted to his right, getting around the corner before heading up field where two old friends waited to take him down. But as Viking football historians know, Drake was never an easy tackle. Rather than putting his head down and trying to bull through for a couple of more yards, Drake slowed almost to a walk, stutter stepping as he went, eying the tacklers, looking for an escape route before he turned on the jets and slipped by outreached arms to pick up five more yards on the play before Tryg Waterhouse, Class of 1999, tackled him— and then helped him back to his feet.
Welcome to the Cook County High School (CCHS) first-ever Alumni Football game.
More than 800 fans, friends and family members attended the game played Saturday, July 2, on a night so perfect it was hard to believe it was being played in Grand Marais, site of some of the coldest, wettest, windiest football games played this side of Siberia.
Kurt Steele gets set to throw a successful pass for the White team.
All told the game netted more than $3,600 for the CCHS Booster Club, said Kyler Hawkins, who spent many hours organizing the event.
Junior high football Coach Kurt Steele, whose wife Melissa teaches at CCHS, led the White team. Steele, like several other players, didn’t attend CCHS, but because they live in the county—and his wife works at the school—they were allowed to play. Steele pitched for the Division 1 Oregon State baseball team that won back-to-back national championships and, following college, played three years of semi-pro football where he was a quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back.
“What a fun game to play in,” said Steele, whose daytime job is U.S. Forest Service Tofte District Ranger. “I thought the game, despite the score, was very competitive. There was some great competition out there,” he added.
The White team scored its first touchdown following a 50-yard return of an interception by Steele to the six-inch line where they pushed it over on the next play and then scored the two-point conversion.
Next, with time running out, the White team scored again after forcing a quarterback fumble that was returned with no time on the clock. They scored again early in the third quarter before ending all hope of a Blue team comeback by tacking on one more touchdown early in the fourth quarter to take a win 28-0.
Still, despite the score, there were only broad smiles coming from the players who walked off the field following the game’s end. In the case of Chuck VanDoren, Class of 1982 and the oldest player to suit up, it was a chance to play alongside his son, and put on a football uniform after a 34-year hiatus.
While most players hadn’t suited up in pads and helmets in years, once the armor was on the instincts returned and fans were treated to some first rate football. As usual, defense is always ahead of offense when a season begins, and most offensive drives ended with three plays and a punt.
Former Head Coach Dale Bockovich coached the White team. Former Head Coach Lyle Anderson, who the football field is named after, coached the Blue team. Announcing the game was Michael McHugh and legendary, long-time Viking announcer Walt Mianowski, and it was sure fun to hear Walt’s voice over the loud speakers again as he did the play-by-play.
The uniforms for the game were provided by Alumni Football U.S.A. and they helped coordinate the event. As for whether or not there will be another alumni game next year, to a man, everyone that was asked said yes, they couldn’t wait to put on the pads and rumble again.
Playing for the Blue Team:
Player Class of
Nick Lavigne 2012
Nathan Wallerstedt 1999
Mark Marxen 2013
Dylan Quaife 2012
Steven Roy 2008
Chris Lavigne 1992
Dan Lavigne 1996
Lance Huskey 1995
Brandon Marxen 1999
Nick Hingos 2000
Bryan Carpenter 1991
Chad Morawitz 1990
Cody Anderson 2010
Jeff Backlund 1992
Craig Horak 1999
Kent Anderson 1992
Tyler Maruska 2002
Brian Allen 1992
Noah Horak 2002
Tryg Waterhouse 1999
Pat Eliasen 1986
Lance Anderson 2002
Clay Johnson 2013
Playing for the White Team:
Player Class of
Kurt Steele 2002
Andrew Borud 2007
Kyle Ford 2005
Daniel Ford 2007
Miles Drake 2009
Slade Bickford 2009
Jay Arrowsmith
DeCoux 2001
Brad VanDoren 2012
Brandon Donek 2007
Karl Olson 1997
Chris Smith 1998
Noah Warren 2015
Rowan Watkins 2005
Brennan Hawkins 2009
Seth Warren 2014
Eric Brisson 2007
Charles VanDoren 1982
Darin Brazell 2005
Kyler Hawkins 2002
Travis VanDoren 2000
Jeff Mattson 2000
Robert Hackett 1990
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