"For the Record"
Written for The Spring Street Journal.
by Burton Andrews
©2007 Burton Andrews
Continuing with this series about the 3000-yard club and those other players who contributed to the rushing successes, we turn to a “lost member” who is now being recognized for his outstanding running career.
There are two games in the 2007 regular season remaining, and Koby Frye’s career rushing mark stands at an unofficial 3943 yards. He is set to become the only 4000 career yard club member in Roughrider history.
Before addressing Nate Homan’s 3245 yard career mark, it is probably puzzling how he got overlooked and not included in the list.
The years he played were 1999-2001, and the official statistician was longtime football stats-man Buz Howard. It was because Buz did such a great job that we were able to put together the stats of this deserving legend of the gridiron. As to how these facts were misplaced, it probably arose out of the difficulties the other community bastion of football lore was having in 1999. It involved a messy transition after years of reliable service during 1971 to 1998 when there had been only five different local sports editors from that 27-year span. From 1998 to 1999, something like five sports editors came and departed at the local paper. So, after decades of consistent, responsible sports reporting, Homan’s career was lost in the chaos due to the local paper’s inability to keep sports editors from exiting their employment.
However, since the late 1990s The Spring Street Journal has been publishing on the internet information highway, which has provided an alternative to this shaky football coverage. That, along with excellent detective work in response to a fan’s phone call about Homan to Jack McBride, the new MHS Statistician, permits a grievous error to be corrected.
Not only Nate Homan’s record was lost these last five years for all Roughrider fans, but also those of the other hard working football players who toiled along side this great legend from the turn of the century.
Nate Homan probably could have contacted the school or the Rider Rooters, or The Spring Street Journal and asked for a correction years ago. Why didn’t he?
Roughrider football legends as a group are a very stoic, proud bunch of guys. The typical Rider football hero has lived by the creed that bragging or drawing attention to his accomplishments to the general public is not good form. Nate Homan is just another example of how this code of behavior is common to so many former and current Rider players.
It isn’t limited to just a humble stoicism, but also is exhibited in ways some fans may not be aware of. For years, when a player has been injured during a play, everyone has made every effort to get up and get off the field in spite of it. It’s a challenging kind of pride Roughriders have traditionally displayed. They don’t want to draw attention to themselves. When a player is unable to leave the field, it is sure to be unavoidable due to the seriousness of his injury.
A sophomore in 1999, Nate Homan saw a lot of action. While the Riders had a rare losing season going 4-6, Homan was a respectable ground gainer, and a good blocker. He played a supportive role to his offensive teammates like RB no. 31 Josh Lamb, QB no. 13 John Meinerding, and RB no. 30 Kenneth Williams. Injuries in the backfield corps, among other problems, contributed to some of the Riders' woes in regards to winning some games, but Homan proved to be a steadfast player.
A host of young and veteran lineman cleared out defenses. Number 70 Brad Anderson at tackle was a steady performer along with guards no. 51 John Douglass, and no. 55 Shawn Fischbach. Number 82 J.D. Keighley at tight end joined this group.
Returning as a junior in 2000 poised for a big season, Homan was joined by QB no. 5 Tyler Sampson, and two RB’s: no. 21 Stephen Kill and no. 31 Eli Holsinger.
It was one of the toughest years in the WBL as St. Marys finished the regular season at 7-3. This was good enough, though, for the Riders to qualify for the play-offs, finishing with a 7-4, eleven-game year.
The interesting story for the year was that it marked the only time in Roughrider history, with all the great 1000-yard gainers who have graced Memorial’s football teams, that three players gained1000+ yards in a single season. Eli Holsinger at 1162 yards, Stephen Kill at 1152 yards, and Nate Homan at 1120 yards for the year 2000 remains a singular achievement in the Roughrider records.
Along with returning linemen were others who led the way for these runners. They were center no. 54 Jim Bills; and guards no. 60 Josh Silver, no. 66 John Flaute and no. 58 Ross Imwalle.
In 2001, with all but Eli Holsinger returning in the Roughrider backfield, fans were anticipating a banner year. They weren’t disappointed for the most part. The '01 Riders missed going 10-0 by one game - Kenton.
Kenton was quarterbacked by the head coach’s son Ben Mauk who was able to work miracles with his passing and his quick keepers. His rambling passing and running managed to keep the Rider defense guessing all night, and when crunch time came, he piloted his offense to a game winning drive for 8 points. The game ended with a Rider loss and settling for second place in the league championship by one point.
Mauk set national and state records as a quarterback, and was the real deal for his high school career.
Capping off his career, Nate Homan ran for 1408 yards in another eleven-game season in which the Riders finished 9-2.
Among those toiling in the trenches were no. 51 Jeffrey Makley, no. 52 Todd Klosterman, no. 56 John Pfeffenberger, no. 63 Thomas Christopher, no. 70 Justin Blumhorst and no. 74 Daniel Smith.
The challenge of replacing Eli Holsinger fell to no. 35 Ty Dingledine, who saw a lot of action as a junior when Holsinger was slowed by a knee injury. Dingledine was also snake-bit, as he had a midseason career-ending knee injury in 2001.
Homan and teammate no. 21 Stephen Kill combined in 2001 for 2619 yards, with Kill chalking up 1211 yards for the season.
Hopefully, this story of another 3000-yard club member has rectified an oversight, and provided a fond reminder for Rider fans of Nate Homan’s career. As we watch Koby Frye wind up his career in the last two games, the next illustrious legend highlighted will be Jeff Cisco.
Nathan Homan 27 sweeps right flanked by 60 Josh Silver in 2000.
