The highly anticipated renewal of a rivalry between the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and Oklahoma’s only HBCU, Langston University, ended in a lopsided 72-0 victory for UCO.
That will dominate the headlines in collaboration with Langston’s illustrious Marching Pride, sweeping us off our feet. Hidden in all of that and something that’s already gone unnoticed by many fans on both sides was a bigger picture: the way Langston’s team still showed up, motivated and in good spirits, despite losing their head assistant coach, Darryl Mason, who passed away three weeks prior to this game, during practice.
It would have been easier and understandable for Langston to forfeit or postpone last weekend’s game, but instead, head coach Quinton Morgan and the team were at Chad Richison Stadium in Edmond, OK, ready to play, despite the adversity and mourning hovering over the program.
“The loss of Coach (Darryl) Mason has left a huge hole in the hearts of his student-athletes, coaching staff, campus, and the football community,” Langston University Director of Athletics Donnita Rogers said. “His passion for the game, work ethic, loyalty, sense of humor, and love for Langston University will always be treasured and a part of his legacy.”
I’m a UCO graduate, but I grew up around Langston, specifically the Marching Pride. My father was a longtime high school band director who funneled dozens of musicians through Langston’s doors. With that being said, as a fan, I was happy to see UCO look as polished as they did. I was glad they won the game. At the same time, it hurt watching Langston get trounced like they did.
However, I stepped back and realized the mission was accomplished for Coach Morgan and the company.
His job and the ultimate goal of amateur athletics is to teach young men. To help mold them into productive members of society or even better. That’s exactly what happened as we watched college-aged kids stare adversity in the face and play football, regardless of the emotion that comes with losing an integral piece of their program and university. More importantly, they did it with a positive attitude that uplifted everyone who watched their game.
Mason served as the Lions’ offensive coordinator twice, first from 2013 to 2015, before returning ahead of the 2018 season. In his first season back, Mason led an offense that ranked in the top 10 in several statistical categories, including third in total offense, fifth in passing yards per game, seventh in scoring per game, and eighth in overall passing offense.
It’s easy to talk negatively about the outcome of the game, but I challenge you to look at this game differently. We should be proud of the Langston football program. Their commitment and effort, despite the circumstances, deserve our respect.
❤️❤️❤️