Friday night in Idalou, this year’s Jayton football season ended with a state quarterfinal loss to the Motley County Matadors, who everyone and their dog has predicted will win it all this year.
Hats off to Motley County, but we should also take some time to pause and reflect on what a storied legacy has been built over the years in Jayton football.
This year marks the dozenth for Coach Josh Stanaland. When he arrived in “Jaybird land” in 2010, Jayton was 5–6. In 2011 Jayton was 2–8, but administrators, families and fans were steadfast, and in 2012, Jayton was 10–2 and for the next decade rarely saw a season without a playoff.
In twelve years the Jaybirds have a record of 100–45, but even more important than the statistics is the impact on the lives of children growing up in the town. Twelve is a powerful number. Children who started first grade during this tenure will be graduating high school this year. They have experienced a continuity and a culture of commitment that will serve them well for the rest of their lives. In addition to Stanaland, most of the coaches in all of Jaybird athletics have been with their programs for years.
In a time when coaches, players—even college athletic associations—leave familiar ties behind in search of the highest bidder, in Jayton there’s a legacy that has kept its eye on the ball.
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