Web exclusive: Fan support lifted morale

Not one player, not one coach, not one manager was looking forward to it.
As the bus chugged back toward Jay County from Indianapolis Saturday night, it was clear none of them was very interested in the scheduled pep session. It’s hard to pretend you’re happy when you’re not, difficult to smile after falling short of your ultimate goal.
When we stopped at the McDonald’s at the Pendleton exit — where we spent nearly an hour waiting — several players commented about just wanting to go home. They were proud of all they had accomplished, but didn’t want to celebrate defeat.
But as the wheels on the bus continued to go round and round, the attitude slowly changed.
It started when we passed the fan and band buses to cheers after getting off the Muncie Bypass in Delaware County. Upon arrival in Albany, several fire engines pulled ahead to lead the way and groups of fans who pulled over in various parking lots cheered again.
The phrase, “Oh my god,” came out of several mouths, wondering if these people were crazy for such a reaction to a losing team. That same phrase continued, but became more and more enthusiastic.
Redkey was absolutely amazing as hundreds of fans gathered near the intersection of Indiana 1 and Indiana 67. A roar went up as the bus passed by and spirits couldn’t help but be lifted.
There were fireworks every half mile, and even more at the high school where the parking lot was half-full with those waiting to greet the team. (It was closer to completely full after those who had joined the caravan behind the bus filed in.)
The reception when athletics director Phil Ford introduced Craig Teagle was stunning, leading the coach to ask, “You know we finished second, right?”
He thanked the fans, closing with, “I’m proud to be the coach here.”
Although they had begun to feel better on the way back, the players weren’t exactly grinning as they sat in front of their adoring fans. The glum looks on their faces sparked someone from the stands.
“Come on boys,” she said, “you’re supposed to smile. We’re smiling, you smile.”
Eventually, they did.
Each coach spoke to the crowd.
Varsity assistant Ted Habegger thanked everyone involved for the opportunity to return to the coaching staff for one year, which turned out to be the best in county history.
Chris Krieg gave a similar speech to the one he delivered to the boys just before they got off the bus. He had told them what they did involved more than basketball. It brought a county together. It wasn’t east side and west side any more.
“It’s WE side,” Luke Goetz interjected.
Krieg’s repetition of Goetz’s newly-coined term brought yet another roar from the fans.
In the end, each player talked about the experience, some more than others. It was a team appreciation session more than a pep session. They all thanked the fans, who had shown them such great love, even in defeat.
“I want to thank everybody,” said senior Tyler Rigby. “I can’t even tell you how much this means ...”
“You guys have been great the last couple weeks,” said John Retter. “As soon as we came into Conseco for practice (Friday) we all looked up at the bleachers and said, ‘Oh, I can’t wait to see what this place looks like with all (the Jay County fans) ...’ We came out there today and it was awesome — everybody in blue. I’d like to thank all you guys for coming out and supporting us.”
No team deserved it more.