He’s still their coach: At West Branch, hall of famer Butch Pedersen’s influence still abounds

WEST BRANCH — It was late March, and the end was near for Butch Pedersen.

He’d battled myelodysplastic syndrome with every fiber of his being, but the cancer was too tough of an opponent. It was going to win.

So the hall of fame football coach at West Branch High School called one more huddle, gathering members of his staff to his home. There was offensive coordinator John Hierseman, defensive coordinator Tyler Bailey, special teams coordinator Kevin Braddock, line coach Jason Pedersen and head freshman-sophomore coach Steven Grace.

“He looked at all of us coaches in his living room and said ‘I don’t think I’m going to be with you much longer, boys,’” Braddock said. “He started asking how all the quarterbacks looked in the most recent open gym. He was more worried about how the team looked.”

Pedersen had a couple of requests for his guys, one of which is reflected on the preseason questionnaire returned by the school to The Gazette. The specifics all are there: returning letterwinners, promising newcomers, last season’s record and that it ended in the Class 1A state playoff semifinals.

Under head coach, the questionnaire listed Butch Pedersen, in his 40th year, and with a career record of 338-84.

“The season started after that semifinal loss in the (UNI) Dome. Butch was the head coach then, and as far as we’re concerned, he’s the head coach now,” Hierseman said. “Us three coordinators are picking up the slack on the head coach duties. We all played for him, we know what he wants. He’s still our head coach.”

His presence in the program still is very real when you attended a recent practice. The team is wearing special helmets this season to honor Pedersen, who died in early April at the age of 73.

Instead of the traditional “Bears” in cursive script on the side, there’s now “Butch.”

“They look sick,” said senior fullback-linebacker Reese Trepanier. “They told us at the beginning of the season he was going to be head coach. I think that’s pretty cool that we’re doing that. It’s my last year, and he’s still my coach, technically.”

A statue of Pedersen folding his arms in typical Butch fashion, also is being erected at Oliphant Street Stadium in town, otherwise known as the Little Rose Bowl. The Pedersen family is creating the Butch Pedersen Legacy Foundation, which will raise funds for cancer research, award two annual college scholarships to West Branch graduates and donate money to the West Branch Food Pantry.

For the football team’s opening game Friday night at Williamsburg, something special with the opening coin toss is in the works, though specifics are top secret.

“It was definitely hard at first, but we went out and did a lot of stuff together,” Trepanier said. “We did some 7-on-7, had cookouts, just did a lot of stuff to keep it together. Now (the season) has started, and we’re trying to be be as close as we can.”

Family, that always was a Butch Pedersen staple, regardless of what sport he coached over the years. And there were a lot of them.

It was just football that was his passion.

“It’s been interesting,” Braddock said. “When practice starts, you don’t think about it. You just do what Butch always wanted, get the boys ready to play ball. But there are times during practice when you look around and you know Butch would be coaching up a position group somewhere. He’s not there, and those moments are tough.

“I think the kids have been very good, but there are always moments out there this past week or two where you always miss him. At the same time, we know we’ve got a job to do. He wouldn’t want us not to continue forward without him. He’d want us to keep working, keep doing what he did over the years.”

A closer look at West Branch

Coach: Butch Pedersen (40 years, 338-83 career record)

Last year: 11-1 (lost in Class 1A playoff semifinals)

Returning letterwinners: OL/DL Logan Wright, RB/DB Cale Seydel, TE/DB Trenton Schutte, OL/DL Max Lodge, FB/LB Reese Trepanier, OL/DL Quinton Rocha, OL/DL Michael Montgomery, LB/FB Shae Farmer, WR/K/LB Jake Swisher, WR/DB Bradyn Sexton, OL/DL Tate Frantz.

3 keys to success: In no particular order here: 1. Decide on a starting quarterback. Four of them were battling for that spot in preseason practice. 2. Find a top running back. Andy Henson had 1,484 rushing yards and 30 rushing touchdowns this season, but he has graduated. The top returning guy is senior Cale Seydel, and he should be helped by an experienced offensive line. 3. Overcome and be motivated by the passing of hall of fame head coach Butch Pedersen.

Big game: A tough schedule overall begins with a very tough game Aug. 25 at Williamsburg, which was a Class 2A state championship game participant last season and who is one of the top teams in Class 3A this season.

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