Sorry … forgot to post this the other day. Here’s my story from Wednesday’s New Era about John McCain’s visit to Manheim Central’s football practice.
It was not your ordinary high school football practice.
Unless you consider Secret Service agents combing the bleachers and armed policemen guarding every entrance to the field ordinary.
“I saw some guys who looked like they were from the CIA walking around,” Manheim Central junior Dakota Royer said, “and I was like, ‘Whoa!’”
Those CIA-looking guys were Secret Service agents, and they were inside Central’s Elden Rettew Stadium Tuesday afternoon protecting a very special guest to the Barons’ football practice.
Presidential hopeful John McCain, on the campaign trail in central Pennsylvania, paid a visit to Manheim Central High School.
He spent about 30 minutes with Central’s football team, and he even gave the Barons’ players a pep talk.
“You always have to play as a team,” the Republican from Arizona told Central’s players, who were gathered around McCain in a semi-circle in the middle of the stadium, fixated on his every word.
“Every player — from the starting quarterback to the last guy on the bench — has to play his role,” McCain continued.
“Every player on the team has to play his role for the team to be successful. Teamwork is essential. It’s important to win as a team, and to lose as a team.”
“He gave a really good message to our kids,” Central coach Mike Williams noted. “Very, very impressive.”
McCain was joined by Sen. Joe Lieberman, Ind-Conn., and Rep. Todd Platts, R-Pa.
All three greeted Central’s players and coaches, and later mingled with some parents and students who watched from the bleachers.
“That was pretty sweet,” Manheim Central senior Riley Clugston said. “We had no idea what was going on. We just thought we were going out for a hard practice. And then Coach Williams told us he was coming and we weren’t sure if he was kidding or not.”
It was no joke.
Williams was contacted by McCain’s advance team last Wednesday. He was told McCain would be in the area on Tuesday, and that he wanted to visit a school with a successful football program, in hopes of watching practice and addressing the student-athletes.
“They contacted us, and asked us to keep it quiet because of all the security,” Williams said. “They just wanted a short drop-in. They set it up and we met with McCain’s advance team more than five times, and then we met with the Secret Service and the whole process got started.”
And Tuesday afternoon, just after 3, McCain’s tour bus pulled up next to Elden Rettew Stadium. Williams didn’t tell anybody who was coming until minutes before the tour bus arrived.
“It was amazing,” Royer said. “I never thought he would come here. When Coach Williams told us someone special was coming, I was thinking maybe it would be (former Central standout players) Jeff Smoker or Matt Nagy or Dan Kreider.
“But for a possible future president of the United States to show up … it was incredible. I can’t even put this into words. That he would even come to Manheim … and for him to request to speak to our football team really tells you a lot about our history, and how solid this program is. He could have gone anywhere.”
But McCain chose Central.
“We’re honored that he came here,” Clugston said.
“To have someone like him think this highly of our school and our community is just awesome,” Williams added. “I hope our kids realize just how special of an event this was.”
Lieberman also addressed Central’s players at midfield. He told them how lucky they were to be playing in such a prestigious program, and for Williams, who has the most coaching victories in Lancaster-Lebanon League history.
In his remarks, Lieberman compared McCain to a football coach.
“Our hope,” Lieberman told Central’s players, “is that Senator McCain becomes America’s next head coach after the election.”
Then he and McCain wished the team well.
“One last thing,” McCain said before breaking up the huddle at midfield. “When you get home tonight, make sure you tell your parents to vote.”
