Let's go back to the year 2005. The Cole Camp Bluebirds are playing their very first varsity football game on September 6, on the road at Osceola. They have 47 players and freshman Garrett Gilbert is the quarterback. They won 23-8.
Kevin Shearer has been Cole Camp's only football head coach over their 20 year history. Yes, this season marks their 20th anniversary of varsity play. Some 475 young men have proudly strapped on the Bluebirds helmets and pads as they prepared for battle on the gridiron.
How did it begin? Coach Shearer tells the tale.
"The Cole Camp journey started with a group of parents who wanted their sons to play football," he said. "They organized and played in the Sedalia Youth Football league. The next step was approaching the board of education and starting the journey to adding football at Cole Camp."
A Cole Camp graduate, Shearer started the Skyline football program and was later recruited by the Cole Camp administration to come home to coach football.
He was offered basketball in 2002 and turned down the offer. He is now the basketball head coach too, as well as the athletic director and the elementary principal.
Needless to say, if you want to talk about Cole Camp football, there really is only one guy to speak with. This story is about Cole Camp football, but you cannot separate the two.
This reporter wishes to thank Coach Shearer for all of the following information.
Going back to that first year, the Bluebirds were 6-3 that season. Stats for that first game are as follows: Leon Shearer 10 tackles, 1 safety; Jared Bredehoft 2 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble recovery, 1 blocked kick; Trenton Miller 2 tackles, 1 INT; Austin Steen 3 tackles, 1 forced fumble; Andrew Westemier 2 tackles, 1 interception; Nick Campbell 4 tackles, 1 forced fumble; Steven Westminster 2 tackles, 1 interception and Brad Bergeson 4 tackles, 1 interception.
Garrett Gilbert had the first rushing TD in school history and also the first passing TD to Brad Bergeson.
Cole Camp had a 9-2 win-loss record in 2014 and were 9-3 in 2022. They suffered at 3-7 twice for their lowest season win total. They are 108-87 all-time at the varsity level.
The Bluebirds have had a team capable of making the final four on several occasions but ran into a Lincoln powerhouse twice in districts and lost in overtime to Windsor last season.
Naturally, there have been many challenges along the way.
Coach Shearer commented, "Cole Camp constantly moves from Class 1 to Class 2. Cole Camp also offers soccer in the fall as well. The time it takes to put a football team on the field is completely different from other activities."
If you know Coach Shearer, he is all about building men.
"To play football, young men must first and foremost have grit, followed by a commitment, drive and strong work ethic," he said. "Players have to play for their teammates and the program. All of these traits are not fostered in our current society. The road to success is long, hard and filled with highs and lows; not a lot of instant gratification. SO WE ARE TRYING TO INSTILL THESE TRAITS."
In sports there are always injuries and Cole Camp has had their share.
Shearer's son, Evan, suffered a brain bleed in a game in 2017 and it recurred in 2018 in the sixth game of the season. He successfully recovered.
Coach Shearer was injured on the sidelines a few years back. We asked about those setbacks.
"When men do tough things, there is the possibility of getting hurt," Shearer mentioned. "My son, Evan was injured his junior year. His injury was serious, but I know that if you asked him, would he do it all over; his answer with no hesitation would be 'YES'. The lessons, bonds and memories my sons have are priceless and have been imperative to their upbringing. As a father, I could not have found a better conduit to teach and train my sons for what the world will throw at them."
The Bluebirds' boss went on to say, "My injury was part of my journey and, for the record, did not keep me from finishing coaching that game or held me out of any game moving forward. Now I did have to coach from the water cooler and be moved up and down the sideline for the rest of that game, but we persevered. I told my players dating back to when I first started coaching to toughen UP, so I had to tell myself that."
We asked Coach Shearer about coaching at Skyline and his other learning experiences.
"Skyline was a great learning experience and tremendous people. Their current head coach played for me when he was in high school," he said.
He added, "We are in a constant state of learning. Failure promotes the best learning opportunity. NO LEARNING WITHOUT PAIN."
Shearer concluded, saying, "Football is more than a sport. I can go on forever on the impact of all involved; from players, cheerleaders, band parents, community and school. So much of what makes America great, we see in a Friday night football game."
Thanks coach! We wish the program the very best in years to come!
