Long coaching career ending for Prairie's Jelinek

CEDAR RAPIDS - It began in 1974 on a basketball court in the little town of Argyle. It'll end tonight at John Wall Field.Maybe.If Cedar Rapids Prairie shocks the world and upsets undefeated Iowa City High, there's a chance they'll be a part of prep football's postseason next week.But if they don't, that's it for their respected longtime coach. Craig Jelinek confirmed this week he is retiring after 21 years of leading the program, 26 years overall at the school and 36 years of coaching football and girls' basketball at the prep level.He'll retire from teaching at the end of the school year."So many memories," said Jelinek, who looks considerably younger than 58 years old. "The big turning point was Bob Jennings taking a chance on me. I'd never been a head (football) coach."Jennings, the former Prairie athletics director, hired Jelinek to take over as head football coach in 1989. He led the Hawks to the playoffs nine times, no small feat for a school that was among the smallest in the Mississippi Valley Conference and certainly the most rural.His teams didn't usually have great athletes, but were known for their blue-collar approach to football. There was rarely anything fancy about the Prairie Hawks.They just tried to outwork you, outmuscle you and out-execute you. And they took pride in that."I've been reflecting quite a bit on everything (this week), and it's tough. It's pretty emotional," Jelinek said. "It's been a tough last couple of years for us ... Our schedule has been rough, pretty typical of the last 20 years, actually. It's always an uphill battle."Jelinek's record going into tonight is 106-95. A former Cedar Rapids Jefferson prep, he played college football at William Penn College, getting his first teaching and coaching gig at Central Lee High School in southeast Iowa.He came back to town in 1978, coaching girls' basketball and assisting in football at Cedar Rapids LaSalle. He moved to Prairie in 1984.Jelinek said his career highlights include coaching his son, Adam, who is now an assistant coach for him. His 6-year-old grandson, McKade, has been the teams water boy this season. Daughter, Jill, played volleyball and softball at Prairie.The coach said he is looking forward to more family time, especially with his wife, Rita."Like I told her, I'm coming home," he said. "She basically raised the kids. You just can't be a coach and a conventional father and husband."