The Klamath Union High School football team recently learned that ‘It’s not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game’.
The K.U. Pelicans played the Salem Academy Crusaders in Salem on September 10th.
Senior football player Mickey Luce says it was a tough game, “It definitely was a very challenging game.”
K.U. Athletic Director Scott Mason notes Klamath Union lost by a score of 39 to 20, “Unfortunately, we didn’t win the football game.” But, what happened after the game may be more important than the final score.
Salem Academy has a tradition of meeting at the center of the field immediately following a game. “One of our players said, that if you want to join them, you can,” said Mickey Luce. Scott Mason added, “Our whole team, they weren’t even asked to, went out to the middle of the field.”
“Eventually, all of us joined them,” said Luce. “And they were very happy that we did – and we all prayed together.”
That gesture triggered an email from a Salem Academy parent, along with a $1000 donation to the K.U. football team.
The email was sent to Athletic Director Scott Mason. “She let me know that she wanted to relay how impressed she was with our football players on and off the field,” said Mason.
The lesson hasn’t been lost on Mickey Luce. We asked Luce which is more important: The sportsmanship, or the game? “I’d say the sportsmanship,” answered Luce.
The woman who made the thousand dollar donation wishes to remain anonymous. Her donation has sparked five separate $100 donations from K.U. fans in Klamath Falls.
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