My favorite book is "The Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story". My football coach had the entire team read the book before our first game my Junior year. The book shows the dedication that Coach Thomas had in the classroom as well as on the field. It quickly became my favorite book, which is saying something because I don't read. In May 2008 an F-5 tornado struck Parkersburg, Iowa and destroyed the town. My favorite quote from Coach Thomas was "God willing, we will play our first home game here on this field this season." 100 Days later the Aplington-Parkersburg Falcons won their first game on the new field and it was dubbed The Sacred Acre. Just as Parkersburg was recovering another tragedy happened. Mark Becker, a former student and player, walked into the weight room and shot Coach Thomas, point blank, and killed him. The news of the hometown hero spread across the nation. It became my favorite book because Coach Thomas showed dedication not only on the gridiron, but in the classroom as well.
This is a true testament to what we can overcome AND to the fact that hard work pays off!
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