Saying goodbye never is easy.

People can go across the country, around the world or even beyond it. Things are not the same.

And so it is with the passing of Gail Hakes on May 4.

Hakes, whose memorial service is on Wednesday (May 11) in Mesa, was the first football coach at Phoenix Carl Hayden. He went on to lead the football team at Phoenix Alhambra, where he was my coach.

While his assistants preached fire and brimstone, he was the steadying hand. Kind of like Good Cop, Bad Cop. He tried to encourage all of us, including those like me who did not play much.

These days, every player believes they will earn a college scholarship, and there is nothing wrong with that. But there is reality. And there are those who play the game simply for the enjoyment of it. There are times, particularly during preseason practices in jungle-like monsoon conditions, when you wonder, but in the end, it is worth it.

Our senior season began with a lunch-time meeting at the Hakes home. It was pouring rain, as I recall. Our spirits were not dampened, but just the opposite.

The season was emotional. One of my fellow linemen went down with a serious head injury and we rallied around him. We had an 8-2 record, one of the best in the school’s history.

It is something I will never forget, and I believe most of my former teammates would agree.

Thank you, Coach Hakes, for leading us, helping us and being a part of our lives.