A town, team, say thank you

By: LANDON NEGRI - The Californian | Saturday, November 10, 2007 11:46 AM PST ∞

TEMECULA - First, there was a sea of Temecula Valley brown-and-gold jerseys. Then it was sea of alumni brown-and-gold letterman jackets. Then it was a sea of an entire community, taking a moment to thank a man for building a football program and putting a town on the map.
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Bud Kane's final game after 22 years as head coach at Temecula Valley didn't go as he would have planned.

Certainly, he couldn't have stomached losing, 34-18, to cross-town rival Chaparral, but after about 100 or so former football players greeted him with hugs and high fives afterward, the outcome became a bit fuzzy.

"Did we actually just lose the game tonight?" he said. "I mean, it doesn't feel like we lost -- and I hate losing."

It was that kind of night, the kind of night that was bigger than a football game, even between two schools that share a city about as amicably as Democrats and Republicans share Congress.

It was Kane, you see, who started this football program at Temecula Valley back in 1985, when the school was just the Valley's third major public school, And as the program grew, so did Temecula, from a small town in the sticks to a choice suburban destination.

A coach can leave an impression after 22 years and 174 victories, and Kane's was widespread. That was evident by throngs of former players who showed up Friday to cheer on their coach one last time.

From Ronnie Long, the standout who led the Bears to their first CIF Southern Section title in 1990, to quarterbacks Mike Maxwell and Ronnie Hill, to his own son, Ryan -- whose original text message a week ago spread like wildfire to bring in such a crowd -- it seemed they were all there.

Following the game, each hug was as important as the last, building up to Long, who Kane yelled to a crowd gathered near the east goalposts, "This is the best player I've ever coached," and applause followed.

"Ultimately, down the road, the wins and losses are insignificant," Kane said. "It's about the relationships."

Long, for example, was not the biggest back you'd see -- 5-foot-7 and 145 pounds -- but he was named an All-CIF player in leading the Bears to their championship in 1990 over Palos Verdes. In that game, he scored three touchdowns and intercepted three passes.

Now a geographer, Long flew in from San Jose specifically for Friday's game.

"He had a glow about him," Long said, before adding later, "it didn't matter if it was raining, thundering ... it was always a great day for football,"

As much as Kane loved football, he kept it in perspective. And while animated on the sideline, he was a cool customer at home. One instance was in the summer of 1998, when his quarterback, and son, decided against playing football to concentrate on wrestling, a sport in which Ryan Kane won back-to-back state titles.

Ryan, nicknamed "Bud Light" by Long and others as a kid, had played football since Pop Warner days and had high expectations for his senior year. But Dad handled the situation like a pro, supporting Ryan and reminding him it was his decision.

"He's one of the most understanding people you're ever going to meet," Ryan said. "He took it better than probably any of my friends or any of my teammates. It was harder to tell them."

All the younger Kane did was go on to earn a wrestling scholarship to Northwestern.

His dad went on, too, to coach nine more years. And to the very end, he was vintage Bud Kane, pulling out the onside kick in the fourth quarter against Chaparral and trying to rile up the old rodeo. His philosophy and his style didn't change much, but the city, the kids, the way of life in Temecula certainly did.

"I don't even recognize it anymore," Long said.

No matter, the respect was always there. As the final seconds ticked off the clock, the crowd chanted, "Thank-you, Coach-Kane" over and over again.

"When I was a freshman, I was supposed to go to Chaparral, but I transferred here, and the only reason was to play for that man," said senior Beau Lewis, who choked back tears. "He meant a lot to me."

He did, as well, to the Valley.

Now, Kane will find more time to spend in the middle of another sea, this one the Pacific Ocean. An avid surfer, it won't be long before Kane and former athletic director Stan Ford hit the beaches far south of Ensenada, riding the waves and enjoying the sunshine.

"There's more to life than football," he told his team Friday, before closing with a "Right on, men!"

Right on, indeed.

Landon Negri is sports editor of The Californian. He can be reached at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2632 or at lnegri@californian.com.