Throughout the season, the phrase “We’re more like a family” is the answer given by every player on why they’ve been the best varsity team Tomball has seen in many years. Last weekend, the boys lived up to that phrase and took it beyond the field.

On Oct. 14, at the age of 98, Edna Kaiser, mother of head coach Tommy Kaiser, passed away due to old age and mild sicknesses. “Although devastated, it’s a relief she is in a better place doing better than she ever had while here” said Coach Kaiser.

By game time on Friday, the players had received the tragic news and were determined to do whatever possible to make their coach feel better. Even though he had just lost someone dear to him, Coach Kaiser stood tall in the locker room, determined to lead his team to another victory.

“The feeling in the locker room was strong, after all he has done for our team and even the community of Tomball, we were determined to give back as much as we could,” said Montrell Logan, a senior.

As the team meeting began, Johnny Rodgers stood up in front of his teammates and told his coach, “We as a team hold an oath, that this game, this win, will be in honor of your mother.”

With a smile, Kaiser replied: “Let’s get out there and do what we have to do.”

By the end of the game the Cougars were victorious. As they rushed the field with their heads held high, the thought of what they had just accomplished not only for themselves, but for someone special ran through their minds.

As they huddled together, Kaiser in the middle, they did the traditional thing and dumped the jug of Gatorade on him. Afterwards came words of encouragement from the players letting their coach know everything was going to be okay.

But this is not where the story ends. On Sunday evening, at the viewing for Mrs. Kaiser, players from the varsity team – all dressed in slacks and each holding a solitary red rose – walked down the aisle of the funeral home and placed the roses on her casket.

In the midst of tears, Coach Kaiser watched his players pay tribute to a woman they did not even know, to honor a man who has carried them to new heights.

“I had no idea they would have done what they did, and all types of emotions flooded through me at that moment,” Kaiser said. “I couldn’t help but shed tears.”

When asked why they did what they did, Johnny Rodgers replied, “We are family and what we did was for a family member, and if needed, we would do it all again.”