For those of you who did call, now would be a good time to dial up the school again to say not only you're sorry, but to thank the man. He and his team just did something that wasn't impossible, but close.
Every administrator, every coach and every kid associated with Diamond Hill-Jarvis football should be hearing nothing but praise, and recognition for what they did on Thursday night.
Diamond Hill-Jarvis snapped a 77-game losing streak on Thursday with a 40-12 win over Dallas Conrad.
The Eagles' 40-12 win over Dallas Conrad snapped their 77-game losing streak. The Eagles are no longer a threat to break the state record for most consecutive losses, set by Houston Davis from 1985 to '93; the national record, we think, is 82, set by Glascock County is Georgia from 1990 to '99.
Also, give Conrad coach M.T. Tyeskie substantial credit just for agreeing to schedule the game in the first place; DH-J was having a hard time finding non-district games. Opposing coaches wanted no part of potentially losing to a team that never wins.
On Friday morning at DH-J, principal James Garcia had all of the players walk through the halls of the school to high-five and celebrate with their classmates and teachers. The song "Eye of the Tiger," from the Rocky III soundtrack, blared over the school public address speakers, as the kids had their moment.
On Friday afternoon, the school district set up a "media availability" for the team, complete with a photo shoot opportunity.
They should all revel in this adulation.
"I am glad this did end because all of those coaches and players had worked so hard; I know this weighed very heavily on them," Garcia said. "I'm glad it was the first game. I'm glad it wasn't some lucky, fluke play that gave us the win.
One of those players was Martin Rosales. In 2012 and '13, his final two years, he was the Eagles' starting quarterback. He never won a game.
"I went 0-20. There were guys there who went 0-40," Rosales said.
When you lose 77 straight, a team is not exactly awash in superlatives. Every player who played, and continually put themselves in position to be trounced but got back up, merits a degree of recognition for having the fortitude to stay with it.
Diamond Hill, and so many of those coaches and young men never quit, and by doing so they all finally won.