A Coach Who Wins, And Inspires

This past Friday night I covered the Gaffney at Boiling Springs game.  A contest in which the visiting Indians had significantly more athletic talent than the home standing Bulldogs and appeared to be on their way to a rout with a 21-0 lead in the third quarter.

But there was Boiling Springs battling back with a touchdown early in the fourth quarter after its best offensive drive of the night and moments later a pick six to suddenly make it a game with plenty of time remaining.  In fact, the Bulldogs had a fourth and goal at the Indians two with about 40 seconds left and, to their credit, Gaffney denied them the tying, or potentially winning, points and escaped with a narrow win.

If you were at that game you couldn’t help but notice the Boiling Springs head coach, Bruce Clark, on the sidelines.  He’s the one coaching in the wheelchair as he continues his rehab from what was supposed to be a simple neck procedure last summer but instead a mistake in that surgery left him paralyzed for several weeks.  He returned to his team last season and continues to work toward eventually being able to walk again.  He thinks he can get back to 85 to 90 per cent of where he was.

Obviously, he’s a heck of a coach.  He arrived two years ago to guide a program that rare managed as many as five wins in a season.  In back-to-back years under Clark and his staff the Bulldogs have 16 wins, clearly the best two-year stretch ever for the Spartanburg County school.  They’ve defeated Spartanburg High for two consecutive years, the first two wins ever for the ‘Dogs against the Vikings.

What Clark brings to the team with Xs and Os he’s likely topping with the inspiration he provides.  I’ve observed him at a practice this season as well as at that game Friday night and he’s going about his business as if nothing has happened to him. He’s still succinct in his message to his players and you can tell he demands perfection.

I often wonder if I could handle such a plight and thank God that I’ve maintained my good health.  I wonder if Clark had doubts after his situation occurred that he could overcome all that was ahead.

Although they’ve started the season 0-1 you get the impression watching this team that they’ll be a tough out for just about everyone they face. There’s a chance they can have another well above average season and should return to the playoffs after a year’s probation for an infraction of which the head coach takes the blame.

For whatever success they have this year, what they’re learning about perseverance from their head coach is a memory that will probably last longer than any of the wins.