It’s not everyday I enjoy reading a required book for class. Actually, it’s not everyday I read a required book for class.
But, Joe Drape’s book “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen” was an exception to the rule.
Drape, who is also a New York Times reporter, painted a perfect picture of what it’s like to play high school football in America’s Heartland.
I think the main reason I enjoyed Drape’s book so much was the fact that it had little to do with high school football (which I really don’t care all that much about) and more about small town, Kansas living.
I grew up in a small Kansas town, like Smith Center. We had an incredibly popular and successful 2A football team, like Smith Center.
Don’t get me wrong, we didn’t score a record 72 points in one quarter, or win almost every game we played, but there were a lot of similarities.
Drape’s thorough writing and attention to detail gave a flawless depiction of it was like to not only play football, but also grow up in a rural American.
Reading his book immediately brought me back to a place where things are a lot simpler and time moves a lot slower. It truly reminded me of my days in high school, where coaches strived to make young boys men, and maybe win a championship as well.
Drape’s book was a spot-on portrait of small town Kansas living.
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