WALTON — It’s been a bittersweet football season for the Maxwell brothers at Lewis Cass.

Cass is enjoying another strong season. The Class 2A No. 9-ranked Kings won a share of the Mid-Indiana Conference championship and they will take a six-game winning streak into a Sectional 28 semifinal game against Tipton tonight. Cole Maxwell, a senior, is part of a deep running back rotation and Grant Maxwell, a freshman, is an occasional starter on the offensive line.

“It was incredible when we won the conference,” Cole said. “We would have liked to have won it [outright], but I’m really pleased with what we’ve accomplished so far.”

The Maxwell brothers just wish they could share the season with their father, Greg, who died on Nov. 14, 2006, following a stroke.

Greg Maxwell loved Cass athletics in general and Cass football in particular. As a senior in 1979, he manned a linebacker position and helped the Kings win their first outright MIC championship.

“For most of my football career, my dad was there, teaching me the basics and then just getting deeper and deeper into it. There were nights where if we didn’t have anything to do, we’d just go out in the backyard and practice plays and stuff,” Grant recalled. “He loved the game and passed that love down to us.”

Cole noted the loss of his father continues to hit him hard.

“My dad had a gift for mottos. One of his mottos was ‘Play Like a King’ and he made a sign that hangs in our locker room. I think that meant a lot to a lot of the guys and that certainly means something to me,” he said. “We always touch the sign whenever we go out before the game. It means so much to me because that’s something to hold on to him.

“I know other people don’t necessarily think about it every game they go out there, but I certainly do because he was a big part of me.”

A friend forever

Greg Maxwell’s closest friend was Cass defensive coordinator Scott Rouch. They developed a tight bond while growing up together, playing sandlot games in the summer and board games on snow days in the winter. Rouch recalled Maxwell was the “thinker” of their group of friends and was always ready to set down rules for their various games.

“There were four of us that were really close. We did a lot of things together all the way up through high school,” Rouch said. “Greg and I were the two that were still here in town [following college] so we were really tight in a lot of the things we did. Our kids grew up knowing each other’s family. Our sons spent a lot of time together doing a lot of different things — playing sports and other things too.”

Youth sports including football, wrestling and baseball kept the friends connected. Watching the kids play, Maxwell had an idea that grew with each passing year.

“Greg would always talk about how it would be great if our boys played together,” Rouch said. “He had coached them in youth, then he wanted me to be able to coach them in high school. This would have been that year where all three of them were on the same high school team — Cole is a senior, [my son] Jake is a junior and Grant is a freshman.

“It’s a shame Greg is not here to see it because he would have absolutely loved it.”

Extended family

Rouch always had a good relationship with the Maxwell brothers and their sister, Haley. He remained a fixture in their lives following their father’s death.

“I can’t put myself in their position,” he said. “I can tell them a little bit about how the grieving process goes. My dad died when I was 24; I was fairly young, but I wasn’t a kid in school getting ready to go through some of the biggest changes that you go through. I just always told them I’d be there for them if they needed anything. I know Greg would have done the same for my kids.”

Kim Maxwell-Murdock called Rouch “a blessing” in her sons’ lives. The brothers appreciate his friendship then and now.

“He’s been there anytime I need to talk about anything whether it’s school, sports or anything else. He is a good listener,” Grant said.

Cole remembered Rouch playing an important role in one of the most memorable moments of his football career.

“I remember getting a touchdown, my first varsity touchdown, against Maconaquah my sophomore year,” he recalled. “I remember going into the end zone and getting sick to the stomach because I was so excited. It was like Dad was watching over me. Coach Rouch came off the sideline, hugged me and told me that my dad would be proud of me. That’s something I’ll always remember.”

Cole offered other stories of how Rouch has been an important part of his life. He recalled how a conversation when he gave up wrestling went deep into the night and shifted into Rouch’s memories of his father. And he also told of simple conversations in the hallways at school.

“From a coaching standpoint and also as a friend and as a father figure, he is a very prominent figure in my life. He has always been there,” Cole said.

Rouch speaks just as highly of the brothers.

“They are super kids. They are really grounded — they understand who they are and they make good decisions,” he said. “I’m proud as a peacock of them. I know Greg is looking down on them and is just as proud.”

Future plans

Cole once had visions of a career as a history teacher. Now, he wants to pursue youth ministry. He noted a chance to speak about his experiences to other high schoolers last summer at the Great Banquet and Awakening retreat opened his eyes.

“My faith has brought me through trials and tribulations that I can’t even begin to explain,” he added. “After the passing of my dad, it was so hard to wake up every day because he was one of my best friends. [Faith] is what really brought me through. I have a love for God and that’s one of my passions in life. That is something my dad instilled in me at a young age.”

He is active in his church and in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which Cass football coach Scott Mannering leads.

“Coach Mannering and coach Rouch are both very strong Christians who are good men you can look up to. I appreciate that greatly.”