When I was a student at K-State, I met and became friends with many, many kids from rural farms and small towns scattered across the Kansas plains, like Smith Center. (In fact, I may have known someone from Smith Center--it's hard to recall all the little hometowns of my "old" friends.) That was one of the things that I loved about Kansas State. For a large university, it really had a small-town feel--and that's coming from a city girl! Many of the students were from small, rural towns where everyone knew everyone, and the people were more friendly, more helpful, and approached life a little more thoughtfully and pragmatically, than "city folk." Like Joe Drape, I was always fascinated to hear their stories.

That's what makes this book a gem. It's a little peek behind the curtain at one of these towns and the kind of kids it breeds. This one has something extraordinary--a football coach who treats his players with the respect all people deserve. While Coach Barta may (sadly) be an anomaly, I believe the "takes a village" mentality is fairly universal in the small-town experience.

This book is total-immersion football and boys, which got a little dry at times for me, but it was a light, fast read that left me feeling warm and fuzzy, like my memories of my days at K-State!