Heavy Hearts

When you are thinking about your favorite team Friday night and maybe about the hardships that your team might be going through, give a special thought or two to some programs in Western Kansas.

Hays' coach Ryan Cornelsen wasn't sure if he was going to make it to any of this season's games for the Indians. He thought he would be in a Kansas City hospital with his newborn son wondering what was wrong with him.

Cooper Cornelsen's liver wasn't working right but the specialists in KC didn't diagnose the problem early on, and then when they did, they couldn't figure out what was wrong. Simple fact is little Cooper's liver isn't working right but he is home now and doing fine.

You could see the stress on Ryan's face at practice. I joked with him that it looks like his razor broke but he sheepishly smiled back that his razor works fine, just hasn't found time.

Someone's prayers were answered with Cooper and the Cornelsen family, and the Indians are off to their first 4-0 start in almost a decade.

Further west in the tiniest of towns, Quinter is one of the top teams in 8-Man Division I but forgive the players if their minds aren't completely focused on their game with Thunder Ridge.

Quinter coach Greg Woolf thought he had a stomach flu a few weeks back and had to go see the doctor. Doctor ran some tests and sent him to Hays to the hospital. Woolf returned to Quinter with some bad news.

Cancer. He hid the fact from his team during that week of practice before their game with Palco and when the Bulldogs destroyed the Roosters, 50-0, Woolf couldn't fight back the emotion.

The team handed him the game ball with all their signatures on it.

Woolf hasn't coached much since then, handing over the reigns to his assistant coaches. He travels to Omaha for chemo treatment next week.

Winning takes on a completely different meaning when you are fighting for more than a game.