Not my boy, but sure love this boy

So this fall year has rolled out in a funky way.
I’ve gone to every single William Penn football game this year except for one. The Statesmen played Grandview in the fifth week of the year and I couldn’t make that game because I went to Texas. Willy P lost that game and I wasn’t there and my family hasn’t let me live it down.
Actually, up to that game I had been going sleeveless to all the games and William Penn was 4-0 until that game. We saw them beat Baker, Kansas who was rated 16th in the country in NAIA football until that time.
My brother and his wife Susan and I were just learning how to tailgate NAIA style. It’s not the same as Big 10 tailgating. I’d done that with a few friends last year in almost monarchy style. Big buses and courtyards and lots of food and drinks. Tailgating is one of my most favorite things to do. I don’t care what the weather is or who the company is. I’ve tailgated in rain and cold, warm and sunny, and freezing cold and windy. I do not care. It’s just fall and football.
My nephew is one my favorite people. He’s right there with my niece. And these are just the family members in the state of Iowa. I have nephews and nieces in Florida and Texas and they are all great humans. But Hayden-the-Long-snapper-Statesman is number 49 and he may quite frankly have the biggest following of any Williiam Penn player. He certainly has the biggest following of any long snapper in college football in America.
At the game in St. Ambrose in the 10th week of the season, we had 15 people there. The Statesmen walked by us on the tailgate parking lot in team groups and, when Hayden went by, we exploded in cheers and he dipped his chin and shook his head walking by. It’s cult-ish. We were the loudest in the parking lot. His father and I wore jerseys with 49 on them and the name Vandenberg across the back shoulders. It was 64 degrees with a warm breeze out of the south. It was a beautiful day and, aside from the 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct after shoving a kid in the back on a punt return, it would’ve been the perfect day. He hit this kid with the Statesmen up by, like, 30 points and he just let out a little steam.  He said it was just in front of him and the kid had, allegedly, done some talking during the game. Hayden is 6’1” and about 255 pounds so he’s not to be trifled with.
Anyway, the season culminated Saturday with a school record 11 wins with the first ever William Penn post-season playoff win. They are now in the bracket of 16 and they play for the “Big Red Banner”, which is the national title in that division.
Win or lose, it doesn’t matter to me. Hayden was named 2nd team All-Heart Heartland Conference as a long snapper. That just cracks me up. This kid was just snapping a football near the football practice field during a baseball practice and caught the attention of a football coach, who asked him to come and walk on. Hayden did and now he throws a football between his legs to kickers and holders. He's missed two snaps all season and, at No. 16 Baker, he ran gunner and popped a kid who fumbled the ball. You don’t mob a long snapper very often, but he got mobbed and his mom, dad, and I who made the trip to Kansas, erupted among the 16 people on the visitors' side. He looked up at us and smiled and then went back to business.
The really fun part is that the grandparents go and they sit through the weather whether it be wet or warm. We always make sure they are comfortable. I took them out for breakfast in Dubuque and then we sat through a cold, rainy game at the Dubuque Stadium. They threw a blanket over their laps and snuggled close together. It was a little sweet.
When we go to home games, we stop at Hot Shots in Osky for some pregaming. Then we usually stop there after the game.
When we went to Missouri for a game in week 2, we were looking for a place to pregame. We stopped at Central Methodist University in Fayetteville, Mo. and there was town rally opposing a monarchy. We got out and chanted a little bit about King George being a wanker and the U.S. getting out a can a whoop-ass, and then worked our way down the square to a bar. Before heading to the field we stopped at a place called LaFayette on the square. It was an ornate café with great food, including a hummus and vegetable platter and some nice craft beers. But the owner at the small bar on the square was just getting there in his old, beige Mercury Montego and we followed him in. John and I both called him Buttermaker. We asked if the bar was open. He said ‘No’ and that he had to clean up and get the chairs down before he could open.
We immediately jumped in and helped him sweep the floors and wipe down the tables and the bar. He quickly poured my brother and I a couple ‘beahs’ and then made us a cauliflower meat’sa pizza. We enjoyed it and then headed over to the ball field to watch the Statesmen roll to yet another win.
We made a six-hour drive past Kansas City in week five for a game and just set up for some tailgating there. But it was fun. The school kids brought around hot breakfast burritos, one of the greatest inventions of all time. These were filling, hot, and super good.
The bottom line is this has been a great fall season of traveling and good football. Excitement at every turn and town. One of my favorite things is traversing the rolling hills of Iowa’s rural communities in search of this state’s great people.
 I can say that the travel and the adventure and the tailgating are the fun part. But, I honestly think that it’s watching this boy wearing number 49 and drawing screams of FORTY-NIIIIINE from his sister and the others in tow, compete at a higher level gets me jazzed. This boy, who just yesterday was running around through the neighborhood with no pants on is now a part of something transcendental makes me just a little emotional.
His father’s a brick building and I’m a squishy toy, but a boy needs both…and that’s Beside the Point.
Chuck Vandenberg is editor and co-owner of Pen City Current and can be reached at Charles.V@PenCityCurrent.com.