In a few short weeks, Wabash head football coach Erik Raeburn will be a Montgomery County resident. He and his family will complete their move from Iowa to their new home at Rocky Ridge near Darlington.

Raeburn has already gotten a head start on getting to know some of the area folks.

Shortly after the recruiting season ended for the Class of 2012, Raeburn spent a morning on "Community Focus" on local radio station WCVL. He talked about the recently-completed spring practices, early thoughts on the upcoming 2008 season, and his background as a player and assistant coach at Mount Union College and head coach at Coe College.

Thursday afternoon Coach Raeburn was the guest speaker at the weekly Kiwanis luncheon at the Crawfordsville Public Library. The talk took a musical turn from the start.

"I must confess I didn't know the words to the first song we sang today," Raeburn said about the number that started the program for the day --- Alexander's Ragtime Band. He quickly talked about another song that became a big selling point for taking the job at Wabash.

"My wife and I went to the Wabash and Wittenberg basketball game the night before I interviewed. Wabash was down 15 points, but rallied late in the game and had a chance to win on a last-second shot. The ball hit the rim, but didn't fall into the basket. 

"The students still poured out onto the court, sang the school song, and congratulated the team on the way they played the game. That told me all I needed to know about the kind of support you receive at Wabash College."

School songs have played a part in Raeburn's coaching career. He shared the story of having to research the Coe College school song after no one on campus could recall all the words and music. Raeburn wanted to have each player sing the song before being able to travel on road trips for Kohawk games to build school spirit.

He was quickly informed during the question and answer session at the Kiwanis luncheon that would not be a problem here.

"There are a lot of Wabash alums who are part of this organization," one member said. "Sometimes we open the program with 'Old Wabash' because we all know the words, just like all of the students on the campus."

A few more stories, followed by questions, handshakes, and best wishes for a successful rookie campaign in the fall came from the large group assembled in the community room of the library. Just a small sampling of the type of support Raeburn and the rest of the newcomers to the Wabash football program will come to expect every day.

Just think --- he hasn't even seen Chapel Sing yet!

Photo - (top right) A member of the Crawfordsville Kiwanis club meets with Erik Raeburn after the new Wabash football head coach spoke to the group at their weekly luncheon.

(Bottom left) Raeburn speaks to the group.

Posted by Brent Harris at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have the good fortune to be able to attend several of the post-season awards banquets for the various Wabash athletic teams. Sometimes, however, I'm forced to miss them due to other scheduled varsity events.

That was the case this year with the 2007-2008 Swimming and Diving Team Awards Banquet. The event was schedule on a Sunday afternoon when we also had a home baseball game. I knew their was a slim chance I would make the banquet. I didn't. 

I did, however, get the opportunity to see a very special moment near the end of the awards portion of the evening.

The team had asked Patrick Woehnker's family to attend the banquet. Woehnker, a Wabash freshman, had perished in an accident very early in the school year. Patrick had remained in the hearts and on the minds of his teammates, and they chose to remember their fellow athlete in a very special way.

Brent Graham, recently named one of the co-captains for the 2008-09 team, spoke of getting to know Patrick. Graham was not only a teammate of Woehnker, but was in the same fraternity, Lambda Chi Alpha.

"We only had a short time to get to know Patrick," Graham said at the banquet. "But that time was special."

With the Woehnker family standing at the front of the room, Graham announced that Woehnker had received his varsity letter as a member of the Wabash team, and presented the white "W" to his mother, Wendy. 

After the letter award, members of the team presented the family with a Wabash banner signed by each athlete and coach. Finally, a check made out to the Kendallville, Indiana Parks and Recreation Department was given in Patrick's honor. The money had been collected by the swim parents group to support one of Patrick's favorite hometown organizations.

There are always wonderful moments at the end-of-the-year banquet --- a special speech by a senior realizing what his career has meant, an anecdote that captures a key moment of the past year, etc. In a year that has seen several great moments, this five minute presentation at the swimming team's banquet may be the one remembered with a smile and a tear.

Posted by Brent Harris at 09:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)