Chelan Head Coach Darren Talley waxes poetic below about his team's fine run into the 1A semifinals. In the end, they fell to an excellent Connell team, but it was a season to remember.
All of the Chelan players and coaches would like to say,
“thank you to all the family, friends, and fans that supported us through the
2011 football season”. It was a year
that started all the way back in the summer playing 7 on 7 passing league games
at Wenatchee High School. This team came together at football camp at
the end of July, with a mission and a dream.
The dream and mission took its bumps and bruises before the season even
began, with some key injuries, personal issues, and troubles getting everyone
on track and eligible. Once those small
items smoothed out the dream and the mission were back on track and took the
2011 football team deep into the playoffs where we met foe after foe that also
believed and dreamed in their team.
Shaking hands with Riverside (Spokane) in the crossover post season
game, Cle Elum in the 1st round, Royal City in the quarter finals,
and then Connell again in the semi finals is a personal testament to boys and
men knowing the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat, and placing two
hands together in a handshake moment and memory that will last a lifetime.
Thank you to all the players (freshman to seniors) that
worked in the heat of summer, and the cold in early winter always trying to put
their best foot forward. Thank you to
all the family and friends that braved those same elements to love and support
the team. Thank you to all the coaches
for their many hours on and off the field to give the team the tools needed to
compete on such a high level. They are
some of the best coaches in the state.
Last thank you to a group of seniors that will not be
forgotten for their outstanding four years of football: As 9th graders they were a part of
the first team to get back to the playoffs since 1980, only the second time in our
school’s history. A state top 16
finish. As 10th graders they
were a part of the first group in Chelan history to win a post season playoff
game, pushing all the way to meet Connell the semi finals -- a 3rd
place finish in State, which included a post season victory over Cashmere the
defending state champions – the first victory over Cashmere since 1999. A state top four finish. They will be remembered for the quarter final
playoff game verses Omak at the Wenatchee Apple Bowl that went back and forth,
with Chelan finally kneeling in victory formation in a 27 – 22 win. Some called this the best high school game
they had ever seen. As 11th
graders they were a part of the first group in Chelan history to win 10 games
in a season. They were the Undefeated
CTL League Champs for the first time in 50 years. They brought the “Bronze Shoe” home in the
victory over Cashmere in the regular season.
That had been in Cashmere’s trophy case since 1999. They only lost to one team - Connell the
defending state champions (twice) once in non league play, and again in the
quarter final playoff match up. A state
top eight finish. As 12th graders they gave everyone a smile each
day as they entered the locker room, with their calm, cool, always looking for
fun attitude. They gave us dance moves
in the locker room to music that will not be forgotten. They will be remembered for the regular season
game against Cashmere at Cashmere where the game ended on the one yard line,
going into the end zone, with no timeouts left and the clock expiring, one
point short in a 35 – 36 loss that some think was the best high school game
again that they had ever seen. They gave us friendships for a lifetime,
without the normal small squabbles that happen in a year with 50 high school
boys together in close quarters for 3 months.
They gave us another year to remember going 9 – 4, and reaching the semi
final game verses Connell in the playoffs, again for the third time in 3 years,
taking home another 3rd place in state trophy. A state top 4 finish. They will be remembered for the 1st
round playoff victory over Cle Elum in a driving snow storm. They will be remembered for their quarter
final victory over Royal at the Wenatchee Apple Bowl on a frozen snow covered
field. History makers and great memory
makers, you will be remembered. They will be remembered as the first group in
Chelan history to go “four years straight to State in a row”. They will be remembered as more than football
players – they became our sons.
Thank you Seniors, it has been an unbelievable four years
together and you will not be forgotten!
Please email with any questions or comments. Darren Talley
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