Distorted picture

Dear sir:
After reading Monday’s article regarding the coaches’ scuffle marring the Muskie rout over the Dryden Eagles, I was disappointed to say the least of the picture that Brian Bowman painted of assistant coach Bob Whitburn.
I saw [Eagle coach Glen] Kawahara have a hand on Gary Wager as they jawed at each other nose to nose (this is a little stronger than what Bowman called “approached”). I didn’t hear what Kawahara said to our player but first and foremost, he should concern himself with coaching his own kids and not ours.
Bob pushed him away from our player and that is when [Eagle coach Ward] Cockriell charged in (Bowman used the word “intervened”). Bob then defended himself accordingly.
Mr. Bowman should tell the whole story about what occurred and not relay it to the public in such a manner to discredit our fine football program. We, as a football team, have been on the opposite side of a lop-sided score on a couple of occasions and none of our players were ejected for their misconduct nor were any of our coaches rolling around on the field trying to be the best coach in “the sports entertainment industry.”
Ward Cockriell and his cronies should instill discipline within their respective ranks and try to add some class to a league that is struggling to survive.
I have been a football coach for many years and Dryden has seemed to always stir this type of controversy every time we either play there or here. It happened to me as a player and continues to this day as a coach. Ask any player that has ever donned a black and gold jersey for any Fort Frances team and they will tell you the same.
All of this being said, sure Bob Whitburn shouldn’t have done that. I probably would have responded in the same manner. Gary Wager shouldn’t have spiked the ball and taunted the other team. The officials should have taken more control of the game when the roughness and cheap play started. It is very difficult to control your players’ behaviour when a game is played such as this.
This sport runs on emotion and excitement and if worst comes to worst, the best thing that could happen is the development of a fierce rival.
My final note is this, we ran our basic offense to the end. We ran dives and sweeps which are very basic in design. We substituted our backfield with younger guys but, in all fairness, we have a very inexperienced team with several freshmen and sophomores starting.
If you can’t defend that, then get off the field!
Signed,
Dean Bruyere
Offensive and
sometimes line coach