Tiger head coach takes a break for something really important
Sep. 29—These are the things that put a difficult football season in perspective.
Fort Gibson coach Ryan Nolan took a break from it all this week, but with good reason. His wife, Maci, delivered the couple's second child on Tuesday, a boy, Knox, weighing in at 6 pounds, 5 ounces.
Nolan scripted a game plan and handed it over to assistant head coach Scott Bethel to lead practice this week. Nolan spent Wednesday with his wife and baby and will return to coach on Friday.
"It does offer you perspective," he said. "The baby comes, you see God a little bit and you are reminded how blessed you are, and the support from the community and players just makes me feel that way."
And all that support came in congratulatory texts as well as some good preparations back at the Fort. Nolan on Tuesday watched the film of practice and is communicating with staff. Jake Tolbert and Chuck London have pitched in in additional ways as well on offense, Nolan said.
The week has all come together for everyone involved.
Furthermore, Nolan thinks the horde of inexperienced underclassmen are starting to come around, especially on the defensive side, despite the 44-7 count against four-time 4A-4 champion Poteau.
"The score doesn't show how hard we played," Nolan said. "We struggled moving the ball but our defense did a great job and some of those who are starting to get the experience they were lacking are understanding better what we're communicating to them."
Most of those weren't close enough to the action to remember last year's matchup with this week's foe, Broken Bow. On the road in 2021, Fort Gibson was unbeaten in District 4A-4 at 4-0 and at one point had a 17-point lead before losing 37-24. The Tigers wouldn't win another game that year and finished 6-5.
The Savages won their 4A-4 opener 34-33 against Madill last week, fighting off a Wildcat rally in the final quarter.
Christian Brumley, the quarterback who led that rally, is back. Nolan is impressed with two-way lineman Leland Billy, calling the 6-foot-2, 270-pounder "the best lineman we've seen."
Some more good news out of the Fort this week — quarterback Cole Mahaney, lost in the second game of the season due to a high ankle sprain, got his protective cast removed and has started jogging and throwing. His return date is not yet known.
"But it was good to see him out there. It picked the boys up," said Nolan of the senior four-year starter.
Another longtime starter in senior Cade Waggle, who broke his collarbone two weeks ago, helped everyone's spirits in another way, Nolan said.
"He did such a good job on the sideline last week, the leadership he showed caring about his teammates and cheering them on was huge for our players," Nolan said.
Kickoff is 7 p.m. Friday at Leo Donahue Stadium.
