Eldon – Finally. It finally happened. Central Leigh High School Chuck Banks, who is in his third season as the Hawks’ head coach, was able to celebrate the win on the field rather than in the movie room.
In the past, Banks has had to “look for wins in losses” in games.
To boost morale, he had to indulge in moral victories. He needed to see how this one play of his worked or how his one kid was getting better.
On Friday he told me how every play worked and how every kid got better because his team won, his family won, and the program he put his heart and soul into finally won. Central Lee High School beat the Cardinals 34-22 for their first win since 2019.
Central Lee scored twice in the second half to win a close game and beat the Cardinals 34-14.
“The boys showed up and they played really well,” Banks said.
Banks still thinks like a coach, telling his team to savor the win and prepare for this week’s game.
Banks spent seven years as an assistant coach at Central Lee, but the position was his first in the football program. So while “the pain of not winning was really painful”, it was washed away with a “really exhilarating” win.
“The group has started to bond and is improving every week. There are seven players in the five-line spot rotating in, and they have all done a great job with tight ends Blake Bergmann and Bo Hardlich. He gave me.”
The Hawks have tallied eight touchdowns this season and have 482 rushing yards in two games after last year’s five TDs and 300 total rushing yards.
Banks was already feeling something at halftime.
“We knew we had the ball to start the second half, so it felt really good,” Banks said. “After that, our defense was stronger in the second half. .”
The defense helped when lineman Braydon Barlow caught an interception after a Jones TD run with 8:40 remaining.
Early in the fourth quarter, the Hawks scored twice to put the game out of reach.
“We got big yards when we needed them,” Banks said.
It was time to savor. It was a perfect moment. “We decided to try the pass in our arsenal,” said Banks. The Hawks don’t pass very often, so it was a surprise.
Bo Herdrich catches the ball. “It went into his hands,” Banks said.
“Those five spots on the line can’t go very far without a lineman,” Banks said.
The Hawks scored more touchdowns in two games than last year combined.
“Probably a lot of first downs,” Banks said.
After three years of winning, Banks has been as much about culture as it is about playbooks.
“The community thinks what we’re building here is something special,” said Banks. “We are happy to start this culture with children, community members and schools.”
The bus ride home was a song and a “very good time”. Upon reaching Central, his 100 from 75 welcomed the victor home.
Student-athletes fit Banks’ style of play, and he’s “embraced” it since he played for the national team as a junior.
“The family-like atmosphere is surreal,” said Banks. “All summer long we’ve been talking about teams making mistakes. You should be able to look at your teammates like brothers and say, ‘We’ve got to move on.'”
The Hawks seem to agree with their coaches that it’s actually very rare. That says a lot about the coaching staff that doesn’t happen.
“It’s exciting to watch them grow and learn what they need to do to be quality young men,” Banks said.
Leaders do what it takes to get people to follow where they need to.
Keating Fuger is a leader due to the nature of his position as center. He has done well in that role as a role model. “He was able to calm the boys down and get them to go to war for us,” Banks said. he got a job
Friday was his first win as he launched his football career.
The Central Lee coaching staff of Kent Brisby, Bob Bryant, Tyler Bryant, Christopher Hayes and Tucker Sabe deserve credit for supporting Banks and putting the kids first.
“They’ve made things easier this season. We’ve all been coaching non-stop, and it’s definitely starting to pay off,” Buns said.
The payoff could continue this week as well.
“I’m excited about it because it’s Alvia Blue Demon week and being from Centerville is a big rival,” Banks said. It will be an unforgettable memory.”
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