Family and football. If there is one holiday that melds the two like mashed potatoes and gravy, it is Thanksgiving. For many families, memories of Thanksgiving weekend at Lucas Oil Stadium (or the RCA/Hoosier Dome before it) for the high school football state finals are as cherished as Thanksgiving itself.
Before the six championship games kick off Friday and Saturday, I asked several of the coaches involved what they are most thankful for as they prepare their teams to play for a title under the lights of IHSAA football’s biggest stage.
IHSAA football state finals preview: New 6A showdown, teams back with unfinished business
Nobody does it alone. Some coaches mentioned parents. Some named mentors. Many named supporting wives. But this story begins with a coach who was brought to tears before he could even get the words out.
John Hart, Brownsburg
“I’ll try not to cry,” Brownsburg coach John Hart says, “because I’m not a crier.”
Maybe so. But the 62-year-old coach, a father of four and grandfather of nine, is still less than a month removed from news nobody wants to hear.
It was Halloween, the day before Hart’s Brownsburg team was set to play rival Avon in the first round sectional game in Class 6A. Janet, his wife of 40 years, was diagnosed with breast cancer. The Harts will find out about the next steps at their next doctor appointment on Dec. 2.
“To be honest,” Hart said, “she’s 1,000 times stronger and probably 1,000 times better than the guy she married.”
John and Janet celebrated their 40th anniversary this year, bringing the entire family to celebrate on the beach in Florida. For all of those four decades, starting even before he finished college at Eastern Illinois, Hart has coached football. He got his first head coaching job at Edwards County (Ill.) in 1985, coached there for five years and then on to Mt. Carmel (Ill.) for 11 years before taking the Evansville Reitz job in 2001.
Along the way, the Harts had four children — son Nick, daughters Brittany and Kristen and son Derek. In 2009, two years after Hart led Evansville Reitz to a Class 4A state title, it was an extra special Thanksgiving weekend for the Harts. John, in his second year at Warren Central, led the Warriors to a 5A title with Nick as the offensive coordinator and Derek at quarterback. Both are now coaches themselves, Nick at Gibson Southern and Derek at North Central.
Hart deflects credit back to Janet.
“What she’s done with our four kids makes her the most special part of everything,” he said. “We have a great family. We’re not perfect. Usually when you put a ‘Hart’ at the end of it, it means it’s not perfect. But we’ve grown a lot together.”
During Hart’s nine-year tenure at Brownsburg, the Bulldogs have had their share of tournament heartbreak. This dramatic run to the state finals, which started the day after Janet’s diagnosis, seems like something from a movie script: A 28-point second-half comeback in the sectional championship against Ben Davis; a touchdown with 13 seconds remaining and 2-point conversion to knock off No. 1 Lawrence North in the regional by one point; and last week in the semistate, holding off traditional power Center Grove in the final seconds with a walk-off interception.
“An incredible ride,” Hart said.
When Brownsburg takes the field Friday night against Hoosier Crossroads Conference rival Westfield, it will be the first state finals appearance for the Bulldogs in 39 years. Perhaps fittingly, it was 1985. Hart was just starting his coaching career and his life with Janet. On Friday night, they will be joined by four kids and nine grandchildren.
“We have a lot to be thankful for,” Hart said.
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Alex Stewart, East Noble
When Alex Stewart accepted the job at East Noble in March, his wife, Rachael, was nine months pregnant with their third child. Sadie was born a week after Stewart was approved as East Noble coach.
“Then we had to move two hours away,” said Stewart, who had been the coach at Western for the previous seven years.
Not exactly the easiest process with a young family. Alex and Rachael have two other daughters, 4-year-old Savannah and 2-year-old Sophie. As Stewart got busy in his first year as the coach and strength and conditioning coordinator at East Noble, he leaned on Rachael not only for support professionally but “she’s kept it all together at home.”
The teamwork has certainly worked out on the field, too. East Noble, ranked No. 2 in Class 4A, is in the state finals for the fourth time, playing No. 1 New Palestine on Friday afternoon.
“My wife is the head coach of the house,” Stewart said. “She’s done a fantastic job and been extremely supportive and somebody I could lean on when it’s like, ‘This is rough, this is stressful.’ She’s been great. I’m definitely thankful for her.”
Kyle Enright, Decatur Central
The temperature dipped into the 30s on Friday night for in the Class 5A semistate game between Decatur Central and Bloomington South. Kyle Enright, the Decatur Central coach, was wearing shorts.
It was a fitting scene — and backdrop — for Decatur Central to clinch its Class 5A state finals appearance with a 27-13 victory at Bloomington South. Kyle’s father, Dave Enright, a Hall of Fame coach who won two regional titles at Bloomington South in the mid-1980s and a state championship at Hamilton Southeastern, always wore shorts when he coached.
“I carried on the tradition,” Enright said with a laugh. “That’s because of him.”
Dave Enright and wife, Betty, are the reasons why Enright does what he does. They are both 86 years old and do not make it to many games anymore. Kyle is hoping they can make it Saturday night. Either way, he will see them for Thanksgiving.
“The unconditional love and support they have given me through my life has been amazing,” Enright said.
Enright, a 1997 Decatur Central graduate, played for his dad with the Hawks. Dave Enright finished his head coaching career at Perry Meridian in 1993 before moving on to coach as an assistant at Decatur Central on Mike Gillin’s staff. Gillin’s first coaching job, in 1973, was as an assistant on Dave Enright’s staff at HSE.
Kyle Enright planned on getting into exercise science and sports medicine when he started college at Indiana. He changed course, though, following the path of his parents. His mother Betty taught second grade for 40 years in Indianapolis Public Schools.
“All of a sudden I had that light bulb go off that I wanted to be an educator and coach, like my mom and dad,” Enright said. “They are a big influence on what my life has turned into, and I try every day to do my best to lift someone up and impact people in a positive way.”
Yes, he will be wearing shorts on Saturday night when Decatur Central attempts to win its first state championship, playing Warsaw in the Class 5A state finals.
Kyle Ralph, New Palestine
Since Kyle Ralph arrived at New Palestine in 2013, the bedrock of the program’s success has been built on work, especially in the weight room. His counterpart on the other side of the Class 4A state championship on Friday, Alex Stewart of East Noble, reached out to Ralph about his program-building philosophies even before he became a head coach.
“He’s a great guy to talk football with,” Stewart said. “I have a lot of respect for him and the way he does things at New Pal. They are a big, strong, physical football team.”
Ralph, coming from Cincinnati, where he played at St. Xavier and coached at St. X, Oak Hills and Withrow after his college career at North Carolina, was something of an outsider when he arrived at New Palestine. His wife, Ashley, is a New Palestine native.
“I’m just thankful for the support system I’ve got,” Ralph said. “My in-laws are from New Pal and it’s nice to have them here. It’s a great support system for my wife, too.”
As the Ralphs have put down roots in New Palestine with son Kaeden, 14, a freshman lineman on the varsity team, and daughters Madison, 11, and Kenley, 7, they have added more family on Kyle’s side of the family. His older brother, Brad, moved his family to New Palestine two years ago and was the head freshman coach this season.
“Him and his wife and their two boys actually live in my neighborhood,” Ralph said of his brother. “Right down the street, about 150 yards away. There’s good and bad with that. But all in all, it’s obviously great.”
Kyle’s parents, Tim and Janice, also moved from Cincinnati to the Franklin Township area after Kyle’s last remaining grandparent passed away recently.
“It’s nice to have the whole remaining Ralph clan up in one place at one time and be a part of Friday nights together,” he said. “My dad didn’t play football or anything but my brother played before I did and really ever since I can remember, football has been a huge part of my life. … It’s something that has always brought us together and it’s nice to have that support system nearby and know they’ll be behind you — win or win.”
Brett Lambert, North Judson
North Judson coach Brett Lambert played at North Judson in the 1990s, a decade after it became almost commonplace for the Bluejays to make runs to the state finals. North Judson made it to the Class A state finals in 1980, ’84 and ’86 under Russ Radtke, losing twice to Sheridan and once to South Putnam.
“When I was growing up in the ‘90s we were like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re going to do this,’” Lambert said of making it back to the state finals. “It hasn’t happened.”
Until now. Lambert, who graduated in 2000 from North Judson, said his Thanksgiving thanks goes to a community that has gone out of its way to support him at every turn. North Judson has run up against Adams Central each of the previous three years in the semistate, coming one step short of Lucas Oil Stadium.
“They not only want these kids to be successful but they back it up,” Lambert said. “Anything we need, they are giving us that this week. … it means the world to me.”
Todd Wilkerson, Heritage Hills
Like Lambert, Heritage Hills coach Todd Wilkerson knows he will have his community’s support for Saturday’s Class 3A state championship against Fort Wayne Bishop Luers. Heritage Hills won a title in 2000, but has come up short in three following trips, including last year’s game against Bishop Chatard.
“It’s just a football crazy community,” Wilkerson said. “There’s nothing more they would rather do on Thanksgiving week than to be talking about football and being at the state finals. That’s everybody I know. I don’t know anyone right now who is inconvenienced by having to come to Indianapolis. When I think about being thankful, it’s for all the people who are supportive and really love and embrace what we do and what it takes to be successful in high school football.”
Brian Oliver, Linton-Stockton
Brian Oliver was a sophomore in high school when he lost his father, Paul Oliver, to a stroke.
“It wasn’t an easy thing to deal with being a high school kid the next two years and not having him around,” Oliver said.
Oliver, a Linton-Stockton graduate, said playing high school football “gave me a sense of family.” When Oliver graduated from high school in 1996, his coach, Rick Wellington, talked to him about joining the staff. The next year, while he was in college at Indiana State, Oliver started coaching as an assistant.
“It meant the world to me,” Oliver said of Wellington asking him to coach. “He kind of created a niche for me and I talk to him weekly still.”
Wellington left Linton-Stockton in 1999, coached at Bloomington North until 2004, then returned to be an assistant at Linton. Oliver coached on Steve Weber’s staff until taking over as the head coach in 2013. Both Wellington and Weber were highly successful with the Miners.
“I was hoping (Wellington) could be there on Friday but he is living in South Dakota now and just had knee replacement surgery,” Oliver said. “It’s kind of disappointing, but I know he’ll be watching. He’s been a huge inspiration for me.”
Oliver is also thankful for his wife, Lindsey, who has supported him in his coaching career. One of the most fulfilling aspects of this journey to Lucas Oil Stadium for Oliver is that his son is a major part of the team, a junior receiver who leads the team with 927 receiving yards and 12 TD catches.
His name? Paul Oliver.
Josh Miracle, Westfield
Taking over a Class 6A program might feel overwhelming. But Josh Miracle, 36, had a good idea of what he was getting into when he was tabbed to replace Jake Gilbert. Miracle had coached on Gilbert’s staff for 13 years at Westfield, making him high qualified for the job.
But Miracle is also one of the more modest coaches you will come across. When Gilbert left to take the defensive coordinator/coach-in-waiting job at Wabash, Miracle did not hesitate to reach out with questions.
“I’m thankful for his mentorship over the years,” Miracle said of Gilbert. “I’m thankful he’ll be with us on Friday, too. I hope he knows — I think he does — that our staff and players love him and he always has a place here. He tells me he wants to stay out of the way, but I tell him this is still your program too.”
The way Miracle sees it, the Westfield football program is not his. It’s everyone’s. That includes his wife, Renee, who takes an active role with the assistant coaches’ families and with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“She’s a godsend,” Miracle said.
Best of all: Showing up at the door after practice with Myles, 7, Brock, 5, and Mac, 2, happy to see him.
“Good practice, bad practice, they are just excited for dad to be home,” Miracle said. “That helps me to stay grounded in a lot of ways.”
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 270-4904.
2024 IHSAA FOOTBALL STATE FINALS SCHEDULE
Friday, Nov. 29
Class 2A: Adams Central vs. Linton-Stockton, 11 a.m.
Class 4A: New Palestine vs. East Noble, 3 p.m.
Class 6A: Brownsburg vs. Westfield, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 30
Class A: Providence vs. North Judson, 11 a.m.
Class 3A: FW Bishop Luers, vs. Heritage Hills, 3 p.m.
Class 5A: Decatur Central vs. Warsaw, 7 p.m.
How to watch 2024 IHSAA football state finals
All six state championship games will stream exclusively on IHSAAtv.org and the IHSAAtv apps (iPhone, Android phone, Roku, Amazon Firestick, AppleTV, and Android TV) via pay-per-view for $15 per game or $20 for all games.
How to get tickets for IHSAA football state finals
Tickets are $15 per person per day with children 5 and younger free. All ticket sales will be digital only; tickets will be sent as mobile tickets to the purchaser’s smart phone. Mobile tickets should be purchased in advance through Ticketmaster.com or via the Ticketmaster mobile app. Digital tickets may also be purchased in person at the Lucas Oil Stadium Box Office during business hours.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: IHSAA football state finals coaches thankful on Thanksgiving
