A Touching Touchdown: Husky 8th-Grader Realizes Dream
Tremendous sportsmanship displayed at Dalton-Northwestern 8th grade football game

By MIKE PLANT, Daily Record
October 7, 2009

Photo Mike Plant

WEST SALEM -- The next time a coach asks a team to play with a lot of heart, the Dalton eighth-grade football team would be a great example. So, too, would Dalton coaches Dean Clark, Mike Berg, Nevin Horst and Craig McGinty. Add in the eighth-grade coaches and players at Northwestern as well, after the junior versions of the Huskies and Bulldogs met on the field last Thursday. But, at its core, the heart of this story is simply a boy who loves sports. In the fall, that means football for a lot of kids. Colin Muetzel is a Husky eighth-grader who "breathes and lives for sports," according to his mother, Kim. Colin's dad, Bill, was an all-state basketball player for Northwestern, but after Colin suffered a stroke at birth, his physical abilities, particularly on his right side, are limited. His spirit, though, isn't. Colin can't have any contact, but reports dutifully every day to practice, sometimes after his teammates have helped him put on his helmet and pads. They do it because that's what teammates do. "Everybody pitches in and helps him," teammate Wyatt Edwards said. 'Colin's just been a great friend," added teammate Joey Workman. "He's always encouraging everyone." "He runs with the guys and does what he can, and he always does it to the best of his abilities," Northwestern eighth-grade coach Gary Edwards said. "The group of guys he has with him are great. They work with him, help him, they take care of him in the locker room. He's just one of the guys." Last week, the Huskies were well on their way to their fourth win in five games, leading Dalton 30-0 with 2 minutes to play. Before the game, Edwards had mentioned Colin to Dalton coach Dean Clark, and the two agreed that, if the situation was right, Colin would get in the game and carry the ball. On the first two plays that's what he did, going for 5 yards before stepping out of bounds on both carries. With the big lead, the Huskies were going to kneel on the next snap and run out the rest of the clock. Then, the whistle blew and the official signaled timeout, Dalton. "They called timeout and their coaches said 'Let's get him a score.' I asked Colin if he had a 35-yard run in him and he looked right at me and said 'Yes, I do.'" Edwards said. Colin took the hand-off, raced around the right end, and sprinted to daylight. When he reached the end zone, the Dalton defenders were right behind him to offer congratulations. "I was so excited," Colin said. "To get a touchdown run against Dalton, I was just happy." "We were all happy for him," teammate Joey Meeks said. "I was a little nervous, too, because he almost went out-of-bounds, but everyone yelled at him to turn it up field and he did." "He was really happy, and I would've been too if I'd scored my first touchdown," added Edwards. "It was awesome." "The neat thing was that nobody knew it was the Dalton coaches' idea," Edwards said. "The way it all took place -- well, you hear about negative stories so much in sports. I just think this is so positive, just a great thing." The touchdown has landed Colin some airtime on Cleveland's ABC affiliate, Channel 5. Someone caught the TD run on video and the station has run the clip several times and was at the school Tuesday doing interviews. The Muetzels were so moved by the experience that that they wrote a letter to Dalton Schools superintendent Scott Beatty. "Oh my, what a tear-jerker that was for us to experience our son living his dream," the note said in part. "The sportsmanship and kindness shown by your staff and students is extraordinary -- a totally remarkable act on behalf of your team. Colin talked about that experience the whole way home, he was so excited. He said he was going to write a book about his touchdown and all the kids that were cheering for him." "I was at a volleyball game and got an e-mail on my phone that night about it. At 10 at night, you're thinking 'Oh no, what happened?'" Beatty said. "Then I started reading it and was greatly touched. It just makes me so proud of our players and our coaches. I've always been proud of the community, but to know that, with five kids myself, I know if one of them needed something like that, they'd do it. "It still chokes me up -- that's what it's supposed to be all about. When times get tough, there's always talk about cutting athletics or having 'Pay-to-Play,' but we should keep in mind that the field of play is one of the greatest classrooms there is. We get hung up on state test scores and where we rank, but the truth is, those kids learned more on that football field Thursday than they would in any one single class. "I saw one of the players at the (Dalton) Dariette after the game and he was discouraged a little by the score and that they'd lost. He didn't mention it, but you could tell he was also thinking that they had done something right for another human being." Colin has learned to adjust to his limitations. "He plays first base in baseball, he's learned to tuck his glove underneath his arm," Kim Muetzel said. "He's pretty free-spirited, and he just seems to find a way to do whatever he wants to do." That includes being part of the football team. "I just like working out with the guys and practicing," Colin said. "I just like the whole atmosphere." Finishing his run in the end zone topped the list. "It's a moment we won't forget -- it was so nice of Dalton. Colin had dreamed about this and his dream came true. He's in his glory," Kim Muetzel said with a laugh. "He's pretty proud, of himself and his team. They help him a lot because he's pretty much one-handed. "I think this whole thing has boosted his self-esteem," she added. "But on the team, he's just normal. He just goes to practice every day and does his job." "Colin's a happy-go-lucky kid who takes what life gives him and does the best he can," Edwards said. "He understands that he has some limitations, but he does the best he can and never complains. "Colin's a great kid who just enjoys life." And, he'll likely be enjoying his run to the end zone for the rest of that life. Mike Plant can be reached at 330-287-1649 or mplant@the-daily-record.com Story at the Daily Record

 

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