SK football alumni celebrate program’s history

           1987-rivals Sigourney and Keota signed a sharing agreement for each of their football programs to merge together in the SK Cobras under future Hall of Fame Coach Bob Howard. Players coming from Keota were teased, pressured and taunted by their peers in an effort to destroy this partnership from the get go. Despite the hurtful words and reckless behavior, a young core from each school quickly bonded together under Howard to lead the charge for a new dynasty in Keokuk County sports celebrated 30 years later. 

            “It’s a family,” Howard said. “There’s always been a connection, from the first kids playing in 1987 that were harassed and abused all the way to 2017, each setting it up for the next group.”

            For the first time ever, several generations of SK football gathered under one roof as the program earlier this year announced they would join Washington for an alumni game, a first for the program.

            “We got in contact with Washington about any interest in playing an alumni game, so we said we’d check and see where we’re at,” Jensen said. “I wasn’t overly confident just because I knew there was a risk with injuries. As time went on, we had more and more guys that were wanting to play, so we went for it.”

            Coaches Jensen and Klynt Weber, however, really wanted to play with the team rather than call plays from the sidelines. They need a coach; someone who knew how SK football runs and had the respect of the Sigourney-Keota community. Someone like Coach Howard.

Please view the May 31 edition of The News-Review for the full story.