9-year old inspires CJ Bulldogs with positive attitude

11/1/2007

Coach Bret Gosch met Xavior while teaching K-1 physical education in 2001.

“He drew me toward him because I like being around positive people,” Gosch said. “He’s got every reason in the world to hate the world, but he doesn’t. He really puts wins and losses in perspective.”

Xavior knows he is different, but he seems unaware of the fact that he is disabled. He talks about his ailments with a scientific vocabulary.

“My brain doesn’t work that good,” he said. “Sometimes I forget people’s names because I’m missing a part of my brain.”

Even traumatic situations — such as almost dying during a medical flight — get an entertaining twist when filtered through Xavior’s sunny disposition.

“I got to ride in a helicopter,” he said. “And I had gauze around my head, like a ninja.”

Xavior enjoys the attention. He even has a special name: He’s the “X-man” on the field. All the football players know his name and dedicate wins to him.

All the attention, especially from the coach, is appreciated by Xavior’s mother. A teacher at a state school in Joplin, Dana adopted Xavior when he was 2 1/2 weeks old.

“People told me I was crazy to do this as a single mother,” Dana said. “But I don’t think anyone realized how special he was. I stand back in awe at what a miracle he is.”

Dana also adopted Alex, 9, who was severely shaken as a baby and has brain damage.

“He’s been one of the brightest spots during my time at Carl Junction. He’s affected me,” Gosch said of Xavior. “We all smile a lot better after winning seven football games, but he’s taught me to smile on a Saturday morning after a loss. He’s just one of those kids. He smiles and always has a story for you. He’s just excited about life.”

Gosch said the boy inspires him to live every day and not take anything for granted.

“You can’t help but hope that he has affected some of these players,” he said. “If he affects even one person, that’s powerful, because it can spread. You’ve really got to think he’s got a wider-scale impact than just this team.”

Despite his challenges, Xavior is full of dreams. He loves football. He loves high-fives, wearing helmets and cheering. He loves singing the fight song, talking with players and looking at cheerleaders. More than anything, Xavior wants to be a coach when he grows up. He already sees the image in his mind. In it, he has a whistle and directs “his team.”

And, in it, he walks.

“Mom, when I get my legs working, can I play football?” Xavior asked. “I want to walk someday.”

Maybe, his mother replied, with a sweet and pained look on her face.

Someday, Xavior said, he will join the Navy, mostly because he loves camouflage. When he’s not watching football, he likes drawing army scenes, such as tanks and grenades.

He looks after his brother, talks to his elderly dog, Sparky, and threatens visitors with tickles if they don’t do as he wants. He refuses to be ignored, with big, brown eyes and a contagious smile. He said he likes talking to older girls, and he thinks it’s cool to hang out with high-school athletes. He’s never met a stranger, rolling up his shirt sleeve to reveal his flexed bicep.

“Did you know that I’m stronger than a horse?” Xavior asked with confidence.

Xavior Lee won’t leave the field until every football player is gone. He’s missed only one home game, and that was because he was sick.

“It would be nice if everybody who wakes up with a crappy attitude could meet Xavior,” said Carl Junction football coach Bret Gosch. “He has an immediate impact on people.”

1957 - A time for hard work, mutual respect and an undefeated Bulldogs season

10/15/2007

Everett Bartley was a junior guard-linebacker in 1957.

“Darrel (McFerron) probably was our second fastest football player behind Keith Snyder (who was injured for most of the season). Darrel ran hard and really was outstanding,” Bartley said.

“Darrel was fast and difficult to tackle,” Baker said.

“Darrel was able to pick up a lot of yardage on a quick opener behind the blocking of Denny Moss,” Bartley said. “Carl (a left-hander), who was quarterback of our 8-2 team in 1956, certainly was a good quarterback. He could flat throw the ball.”

Hill, a guard-linebacker, moved to the offensive backfield with the injury to Snyder.

“I played with some very good players at Carl Junction,” Hill said. “Wilson was outstanding. He was athletic and had a grasp about what to do. McFerron and Ray Battin were blessed with quickness.”

Willingham, who lives in Toledo, Ohio, coached one more year at Carl Junction before moving to Joplin to assist Russ Kaminsky. He eventually served as the Eagles’ head coach for two years before turning to administration.

Joe Phillips, a Carl Junction graduate, was Willingham’s assistant with the Bulldogs in 1957.

“John, in my opinion, was an excellent coach and strong in discipline,” Phillips, then 26, said. “He had tremendous knowledge of the game. He was demanding and it paid off.

“Another key was that he was able to mold a group of mentally strong individuals.”

His former players appreciated Willingham.

“I liked him,” Baker said. “In fact, he was a neighbor across the alley. He was tough but fair. He also physically had us in shape. He practiced us hard.”

“Everyone respected Coach Willingham,” Wilson said.

“John was great,” Hill said. “He has a great feel for his players. You also knew where you stood with him.”

“He was a good motivator like Coach (Dudley) Stegge (who moved to Joplin Junior College from Carl Junction),” Bartley said. “I liked him in the classroom, too.”

Hill, later an administrator in education, and Wilson coached for several years.

Bartley, Hill, McFerron, Moss and Wilson played football in college.

Bartley, who transferred from Joplin Junior College, and McFerron were teammates at Missouri State in Springfield.

“Honestly,” Bartley said, “at the start of the season we felt like there wasn’t a team on our schedule we couldn’t beat.”

TEAM MEMBERS: B.A. Austin, Baker, Bartley, Jim Battin, Ray Battin, Tom Bennett, Billy Boyd, Darrell Cantrell, Johnny Davey, Rodney Donham, Jerry Edge, Jerry Elliott, Floyd Ellison, Hill, Gerald Hulsey, Jack Hulsey, J.B. Hutchison, Harold Irwin, Terry Jack, Richard Kirby, Albert Landes, Donald Link, McFerron, David Millard, Jerry Monroe, Moss, Butch Patty, Larry Peterson, Frank Phillips, Raymond Purcell, Donn Robinson, Steve Sandy, Leroy Smith, Robert Southern, Bruce Sullivan, Snyder, Pat Tarrant, Carl Wilson, Danny Wilson, Steve Wilson and Gary Witmer.