Football field needs a name

By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publisher
When I was finishing up my football story this week, I added these final words: “Kickoff Friday is slated for 6 p.m.” It felt like something was missing.
    I also write the Perkins County football stories for our Grant paper, The Grant Tribune-Sentinel. And at the close of each week’s story, I add the same closing paragraph with one important addition: “on Haenfler Field.”
    That’s what’s missing in the Longhorn story: “Kickoff Friday is slated for 6 p.m. on Bessler Field.”
    For far too long, the new football field where the Longhorns play each season has gone without an appropriate name. I’ve thought about this for a long time and it’s time the field is named “Bessler Field.”
    The influence Coach Fred Bessler had on the success of the Longhorn football AND track programs at Chase County High School speaks for itself.
    Consider this—when Fred retired after the 2001-02 school year, he had accumulated a record of 248-82-1 on the gridiron over his career.
    At that time, his record made him the sixth winningest coach in Nebraska high school football history. He finished his career with eight straight playoff appearances, dating back to 1994.
    His greatest run came from 1996-1999. His teams made it to the state semi-finals in 1996 and 1999, and twice to the state finals, finishing as runners-up in 1997 and 1998. In 1967, he captured his lone state title, taking Madrid to a 9-0 season, following that up with a runner-up season there the next year.
    He took over as the Longhorns’ head coach in the 1975 season. I was a senior at Grant and as a freshman, got to start my high school football career under the legendary coach, Ed Haenfler. He retired after my freshman year as the winningest coach in Nebraska football history at that time, with 243 wins. In honor of his accomplishments, the football field at Grant was named after Coach Haenfler.
    By the time Bessler finished his career, he had surpassed Coach Haenfler’s milestone by hitting one of his own. And during his 27-year tenure at Chase County, he had the privilege of coaching many sons of his former players.  
    His influence carried over to track and field as well, coaching numerous state champion individuals and winning 26 consecutive SPVA conference track titles. Maybe the track should be named for him, too.
    Bessler’s peers recognized him many times over, selecting him as head coach in the West Nebraska All-Star Football Game twice and an assistant once. In 1983, he was an assistant coach in the Shrine Bowl and in 1995, he was a head coach. In 2000, he was named Football Coach of the Year by the Nebraska Coaches Association.
    In 2005, he received one of the greatest honors—being inducted into the Nebraska High School Sports Hall of Fame.
    Bessler Field? Fred Bessler Field? Fred “Bear” Bessler Field? Whichever.  I think it’s only fitting. And I think it’s time. I know many of you will agree. As fellow Nebraskan Larry the Cable Guy would say: Let’s “Git R Done!”