Respect rules for opposing coaches

Kurt Forrest will face his old coach for the first time tonight.

Bill Lackey Greeneview coach Neal Kasner's Rams take on the Mechanicsburg Indians tonight. "The guy's a natural leader and competitor," Kasner said of Mechanicsburg coach Kurt Forrest. Staff photo by Bill Lackey

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Kurt Forrest

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By Michael Cooper, Staff Writer 11:48 PM Thursday, September 15, 2011

JAMESTOWN — For the first time in his career, Mechanicsburg High School football coach Kurt Forrest won’t be rooting for Neal Kasner’s team.

That’s because Forrest’s former coach and mentor will be on the opposite sideline tonight when Mechanicsburg travels to Greeneview to face the Rams at Don Nock Field.

Kasner coached at Mechanicsburg from 1999 to 2005 and led the team to the playoffs five times in six years and also won two Ohio Heritage Conference championships.

Forrest was Kasner’s first quarterback in 1999, and eventually served as his offensive coordinator in 2004 and 2005 before becoming the head coach at his alma mater last seaosn.

“It’s going to be a lot of mixed feelings,” said Forrest. “He’s a guy that’s been a mentor to me over the years, especially with the game of football. It’s going to be the first Friday night that I’ve hoped he doesn’t win.

“It’ll also be a proud moment to show him all the things that he’s taught me.”

Kasner said he doesn’t know how he’ll feel during tonight’s game.

“It’s going to be uncharted waters,” Kasner said. “(During the week), it’s a typical routine. It’s going to be a challenge from a game standpoint.”

The Rams (1-2) snapped an 11-game losing streak with an 49-16 victory over Riverview East last week.

“It’s a good reward for them,” Kasner said. “We’ve been trying to get it for a long time.”

The Indians (1-2) have a young squad, but Forrest said his team still has high expectations. Consistency has been an issue through three weeks.

“For three or four plays in a row, we’ll do a lot of things very, very well,” Forrest said. “Then, they’ll be three or four plays in a row where we’re not so hot. At the end of the day, we’ve gotta be consistent.”

The two have mutual respect for one another, and still talk all the time.

In 1999, Kasner’s first season, the Indians snapped a 12-game winless streak, eventually finishing 7-4 and advancing to the playoffs for the first time in school history.

Kasner needed just one story from Forrest’s playing days to describe his former QB.

“He’s the only unanimous captain I’ve ever had,” Kasner said. “Every player and every coach voted for him. Anybody that doesn’t understand what means, I can’t make them understand it. The guy’s a natural leader and competitor.”

And very well liked at his old school.

“There’s going to be a lot of people who make the trip from Mechanicsburg to Jamestown who normally don’t,” Forrest said. “The entire community has a great respect for what he did here, and they should. He built a great program here, and the people understand that and respect that.”

Forrest said both coaches will do their best to win the game on Friday because “that’s what the other would expect.” But at the same time, they won’t have much to do with the outcome.

“At the end of the day, neither one of us is going to make a single block or a single tackle on Friday night,” Forrest said. “We’re both doing things to make the young men who play for our respective teams the best we can. It’s all about the kids.”

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