January 29th, 2008 - I left Kansas City at around 1pm...driving 25 mph in a terrible snowstorm, only to hit the sunny plains of Kansas some time later. While the drive through Kansas was completely flat and uneventful, my arrival to Garden Plain High School was exactly what I needed to re-energize my day.
MaxPreps' Randy Walling and the Kansas National Guard kicked off the Tour of Champions at around 6pm, prior to the start of the boys' varsity basketball game. To give you a brief background on the Garden Plain Owls, they put together an incredible 14-0 season, dominating Silver Lake in the 3A State Championship game. But as you know from past blogs, there is always something special about MaxPreps & the Army National Guard honoring a school that is small in size in comparison to many champions we celebrate. Garden Plain HS has roughly 224 kids in the entire school...there are nearly 80 kids on the football team! It's easy to say that the Owls were extremely appreciative of the halftime ceremony, as they were presented with the customary Tour of Champions Trophy in front of a packed gymnasium. Coach Todd Puetz and his players take great pride in their school and the national recognition bestowed upon them.
If I were to use two words to describe this Tour stop, they would be "community" and "appreciation." Having traveled the country to nearly 40 Tour of Champions ceremonies over 3 years, Garden Plain High was one of the most respectful, thankful and close-knit school's I have ever been to. Athletes, friends, parents and coaches visited the Kansas Army National Guard's display area for nearly 2 hours before the presentation. Whether speaking/thanking the National Guard, talking to Randy Walling about MaxPreps or taking pictures with the Tour of Champions Trophy, the entire building offered their attentiveness and appreciation to all. Following the presentation, Garden Plain football players posed for pictures for nearly 25 minutes, proudly holding up the Trophy and their championship rings. For me, this was the ideal way to close out the Tour. I'll never forget the sense of community and overall positive energy displayed by the Garden Plain faithful that evening.
Congratulations once again to Garden Plain High School...our number 28 team in the country!
- Chris Brethel
