Brian Casey and the Golden Locks of Destruction. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Let’s talk about Brian Casey for a moment.
When we do, it’s not all about the gridiron stats — though those were pretty good.
Now certainly, some of our conversation will be about the hair.
Wolf Nation has rarely seen TV commercial-ready flowing golden locks like those which adorn Brian’s head.
Pouring from beneath his football helmet, they were a force of nature onto themselves, capable of making middle-aged men cry tears for the long-lost hair of their own youth.
Doff the helmet, let the man mane tumble loose, and audible gasps echoed throughout the stadium.
So maybe we just induct Brian’s hair into the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame and leave it at that…
But no, because then we would be leaving his heart behind, and we can’t have that.
Because that’s what makes him truly special, makes him a player Wolf football fans will remember long after memories of the games he played in fade.
Keeping an eye on the action. (Deb Smith photo)
Those who saw Brian work, saw him fight to overcome injuries, saw him offer up every last little bit of effort, sweat, toil, and love for the game, will nod in agreement.
On the field, he was invariably to be found in the middle of the pile, straining always to move his guys forward.
Part of that was due to Brian living large as a lineman.
But a bigger part of that was his burning desire to always be in the thick of the action, to stand tall in the fiery crucible.
He seemed to treasure every moment he had on the field, likely realizing how the violent nature of football often keeps players from getting as much time as they deserve.
But when his body did betray him, Brian didn’t sulk, didn’t choose to sit far away from his teammates, didn’t act too cool for school.
Instead, he was a whirling dervish on the sideline, pounding on his friend’s shoulder pads, bear hugging them as they came off the field, his words of encouragement — raw and full of emotion — spurring them on regardless of the score.
The son of a coach, a member of a family steeped in football lore, Brian earned his shot at gridiron glory, then marinated in the moment.
Through big wins and heartbreaking losses, he always had the look of a young man who was having the time of his life, a battle-hardened gladiator who NEVER asked to come off the field.
Brian could deliver crushing hits, bodies flying in his wake, but he didn’t prance around after a tackle with his team trailing by 20, didn’t do sack dances, didn’t showboat.
Instead, he pulled his helmet back into place, dropped back into position, and hit the line one more time, relentless and committed.
A coach’s son honoring the example set by his dad Brett — one of quiet intensity and ultimate class.
Celebrating Senior Night with the parental units. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)
Late in his career, in what would turn out to be the next-to-last game of his senior season, Brian led the charge in a muck-encrusted three-overtime loss to Friday Harbor.
The defeat — coming on its home field in miserable weather conditions in which rain poured down like Noah was one of the refs — ended Coupeville’s playoff hopes.
Not that you would have known it from the way Wolf fans kept hollering from the opening kickoff to the moment when a final-gasp fourth-down-and-everything pass fell short.
At the center of things, Brian stood resolute, mud and grass caked from his shoes to his helmet.
By the end, he and fellow linemen like Isaiah Bittner and William Davidson were limping, ragged breath staining the night.
Yet they kept dropping into position, kept churning, kept surging forward, each small battle won another notch in the gun belt.
Brian always played for the name on the front of his uniform, for his teammates, coaches, family, and friends, and never disappointed.
Welcome to graduation city. (Photo courtesy Brett Casey)
While football was his ultimate calling card, it wasn’t his only outlet, with a season of high school track to his name, where he threw the shot put, discus, and javelin.
He was also a man of the stage, appearing in performances with the school’s drama club.
In simple, Brian was (is) a well-rounded dude, and one with a bright future ahead of him as he heads off to pursue post-high school opportunities.
Before he goes, we want to welcome him, as we hinted above, into our little digital shrine for the best and brightest to come through Cow Town.
Today, for his skill, but even more for his heart, we welcome Brian Casey to the Coupeville Sports Hall o’ Fame.
After this, you’ll find him hanging out with his contemporaries at the top of the blog, under the Legends tab.
He’ll be easy to spot — just look for the guy with the best hair in town.
A man of many talents. (Photo courtesy Stefanie Ask)
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