Special report for The Icon by Scott Little
Much can be made of the pageantry of high school football in a small town. The sights and sounds. The colors and traditions. And for one Bluffton couple, it also includes having a second grandson named Ohio's Mr. Football. Gary and Vi Bricker of Kibler Street are that couple and have seen their share of high school football's ups and downs.
This past week, their grandson Maty Mauk, a senior at Kenton High School, was named the state's most outstanding high school football player.
Maty became half of the only brother combination to ever win the honor, as his older brother Benjamin had previously won the award in 2002. But only three days later, the downer came as the Kenton Wildcats were defeated in the Division IV State Finals by Creston Norwayne, 48-42.
It was undoubtedly one of the most exciting state final games ever and its outcome was not determined until the very last seconds had ticked off the game clock.
Saturday's championship game packed six touchdowns in the last quarter of play, three by each team. Kenton was able to finally take the lead at 42-41 with only 2:51 to play, but could not stop a very determined Norwayne team, who marched down the field and scored the final touchdown with just 27 seconds left in the game.
The finals loss was a tough pill to swallow, but the town of Kenton came out afterwards and filled the gym to warmly welcome back their football heroes late Saturday night. Besides the loss, did Maty have any misgivings? "I have no regrets. I played with great kids in a program I love and grew up in. I enjoyed every second of it."
The Brickers have been attending Kenton games since their youngest daughter, Amy, graduated from Bluffton in 1988 and her cheerleading came to an end. By that time, older sister, Gwyn, was married to Kenton football coach Mike Mauk, a former teacher and coach in Bluffton. Several years later, the Mauk's oldest son, Jonathan, was playing football and the Bricker grandparents had a new cheering interest.
Saturday night's championship game in Massillon marked the final Mauk competing in high school football and Gary admitted he'd only missed a game or two of his grandsons' games. Ever - at any level.
Vi seems to think she's missed only just a few more due to extremely bad weather. She's not sure Maty remembers asking his mother this question, but one of Vi's funniest memories of Maty was when he asked the following question, "Will Mammy come to my games or will she be dead?" She certainly was there all along the way.
During her high school days, Gwyn admits that her father always kept her in a very nice looking car and she could usually outrace the boys, but football wasn't her thing.
Since then the 1980 Bluffton High graduate has had a change of heart. "I went to some football games and found the atmosphere exciting but don't remember having any real understanding of what was going on out there or how hard many people worked to make things happen."
With her last child Maty leaving the roost and heading off to Missouri in the fall on a football scholarship, she certainly now understands the work involved.
"I was not involved in sports of any kind. As a matter of fact, if it weren't for some good friends, I probably would have always been the last one picked in gym class. I do not have the need to compete and raised my children to give their best effort - but to know life is bigger than the game and it could be taken away in a split second."
From his early days as a new teacher and young assistant football coach at Bluffton, Coach Mauk reflected on what motivates him year after year to continue coaching, "I love working with young people and teaching them values that will help them be successful in both sports and life: setting goals, making commitments, hard work, team work, building relationships, over-coming adversity, the many things that prepare you to be successful in life."
Throughout his long and successful coaching career, Mauk has had the privilege of coaching all three of his sons. When asked what the most rewarding part of working with them on the gridiron, Coach Mauk responded, "The joy of spending quality time with them throughout the year, being there at practice every day, watching them mature and grow up, preparing for the season, experiencing the ups and downs together, sharing the thrill of competition."
So what does the future hold for Maty, the new national record holder in several passing categories that he overtook from his brother Ben?
"Right now, I am focused on playing football for The University of Missouri." And, might coaching be in his future like his father and both brothers? "If I do not have the opportunity to continue my football career further, I would probably more than likely do exactly what they have chosen and help other high school athletes become the best they can be."
So what happens next season for Grandma and Grandpa Bricker? "All of this being over just makes me want to cry," stated Vi Bricker. "I refuse to be a couch potato. I'll think of something." Gary says he still pictures Maty as that little boy in the oversized Kenton jersey on the sidelines waiting for his turn to shine. And that he has.
Photo by Brice Little
