A special, yet bittersweet football season for the Pedersen family

CEDAR RAPIDS — This should be the best fall. The absolute best.

It should be a fall of celebrating them and their football teams, feting them together for what they have accomplished.

And it is.

Butch Pedersen has another really good club at West Branch High School. The Bears are 9-0, would seem to be a legit contender for the Class 1A state championship.

Lance Pedersen has Mount Vernon at 9-0 as well. The Mustangs would seem to be a legit contender for the Class 3A state championship.

That makes it 42 combined playoff appearances for them. Yet as many games as they’ve won over the years, and it’s a ton, father and son have never finished undefeated in the same regular season.

This is a first, and it’s special. More than you might know.

Butch, 73, has been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a form of blood cancer. The hope was he could finish the season before getting treatment, but things have progressed to the point where he began chemotherapy Monday.

“Our whole family I think has tightened up even more so,” Butch Pedersen said. “They are proud of Lance, and they’re proud of our program as well. It’s a tough time for us, but it’s also a special time, when you can accomplish what both programs have accomplished this year. I think that’s a pretty special deal.”

“It is interesting, and I don’t know how to evaluate it myself,” Lance Pedersen said. “It is very satisfying ... but like you said, it’s bittersweet. But I know my dad right now is already starting to talk about the 2023 season and preparing for that. So I guess I’m looking at it as let’s take it as it is right now, and we’re happy that our football teams are successful.”

Lance Pedersen excused himself ahead of time during a Monday evening conversation if he had to pause because things became too emotional. He always wanted to be like his dad: an educator and coach.

Butch has been one of the best, someone who taught, coached multiple sports at West Branch and was even athletics director at one point. He has a 336-83 record in 40 seasons as head football coach, winning state titles in 1989, 1991 and 1992.

Lance Pedersen has been a head or assistant football coach for 30 years. He led Wilton to eight playoff appearances between 2004 and 2013 before taking over at Mount Vernon, where the Mustangs made four consecutive playoff appearances from 2014 to 2017, including a runner-up finish in 2015.

“It’s serving kids and trying to help them in their lives become better men, to become better brothers, to become better sons. That’s our ultimate goal,” Lance said. “We’ve always said that at the end of the day, if all they learn is how to play the game of football, we’ve failed. We want these guys to just excel in everything they do in life.”

He talked about what it was like growing up.

“There have been so many times where I have watched my dad go to a kid’s house who is struggling, or have seen him be on the phone or have a kid come to our house,” he said. “To see all the extras that great coaches do that no one really knows about ... those are the things that great coaches are in it for in football, in any sport.

“He has made a huge difference in so many people’s lives, and that’s something that I thought was really cool and something I wanted to do as well. That’s one of the greatest things I’ve learned from him.”

The Pedersens coached against each other when Lance was at Wilton, something neither one enjoyed. Mount Vernon and West Branch have played 7-on-7 games in the summer.

The phone calls about football-related things have been so, so numerous, as you’d expect.

“Oh, yeah. He comes to me for advice, and I come to him for advice,” Butch said. “I think you’re trying to learn from each other. A lot of our ideas are cut from the same mold. There are other things that come up sometimes that maybe are new, a new situation (of) ‘How would you do this? What would you do with that? We’ve never done that.’ You know, that type of thing.

“I find that to be a real treasure for me, to have that chance to talk to my son and to pick his brain. He does that same thing back to me. I think that’s a very special thing for a father, to have that opportunity.”

Lance said he gave his dad a call Monday to ask his advice about a situation he had with a player. Again, that was Butch’s first day of chemo.

“I judge people by the tone of their voice. I read people extremely well by hearing their voice. I thought his voice was pretty good, so I think he’s trying to keep in good spirits,” Lance said. “We’re going to attack this thing like dad attacks everything he does, and try to beat this sucker. And from what my dad tells me his doctor says, there’s no reason we can’t beat this thing.”

Butch attended practice Wednesday briefly, and it’s his goal to be in the press box at the Little Rose Bowl in West Branch for his team’s Round-of-16 playoff game Friday night against Waterloo Columbus. He’ll hit practices moving forward when he feels up to it.

“We’re going to fight, we’re going to battle just like we do in coaching,” he said. “I want to stick around awhile longer because I’ve got a lot more goals that I’d like to achieve as a coach and as a father and as a grandpa. It’s a tough time for all of us.

“The situation is the doctors have told me that ‘It’s going to be a long haul, but you can beat this.’ That’s just what I’m going to try to do ... It’s going to take some time, but it’s something that can be done.”

Mount Vernon hosts DeWitt Central, by the way, Friday night in a Round-of-16 game.

“I’ve talked to dad about this,” Lance said. “He has worked his whole life to serve people and help people in every aspect of their life. I do believe in the power of prayer, and if you get 5,000, 6,000, 7,000 people praying on a regular basis, I think some good things can happen. I truly have faith in that, and I know my dad does as well.

“I think one of the things that I’m trying to do and what my dad is trying to do is look at everything in a positive way. We try to teach our kids on a daily basis to approach things in a positive way, and that’s what we’re going to try to do with this thing, as we try to beat this thing.”

Never count out the Pedersens or their teams. They’re undefeated this season for a reason, a streak they’ll work hard to continue.

On the field and especially off of it.

Comments: (319)-398-8258, jeff.johnson@thegazette.com