There’s no questioning football is one of the most complex sports out there.
Not only is there an abundance of positions, but each has multiple assignments that must be carried out from play to play.
Some require more effort than others, and though many people consider quarterback and defensive back among the toughest, there is one that is often overlooked and undervalued.
It’s not the line, the skill positions or even the kicker. No, perhaps the most emotionally grueling positions of them all is that of the reserve.
It takes tremendous character to stand on the sideline as your fellow teammates showcase their abilities to the opposing teams and the crowd. However, without young men of character like that, many teams’ foundations would crumble.
Brock Koonce plays that role for Lawton High. He gets on the field only a few plays a game, but he demonstrates the necessary temperament and spirit for the job despite a lack of playing time.
LHS coach Ryan Breeze said Koonce is an indispensable part of what the Wolverines do each week.
“Brock is a great kid who is vital to us,” Breeze said. “He is our next offensive lineman in. He has been thrown in at guard, tackle and center this year. He is extremely vital for us and his teammates.”
Koonce has been a dedicated member of the Wolverines’ football team for all four years of his high school career, and part of what keeps him going is the legacy his brother left within the program.
Landon Koonce was a force for LHS late in his career, even donning the prestigious No. 55 his senior year.
That was Brock Koonce’s sophomore year, and his first taste of varsity action came alongside his brother during the Wolverines’ 62-37 win over Eisenhower in 2016.
It was a moment Brock Koonce will not soon forget.
“He was one of the greatest leaders I’ve ever known for this football team,” Koonce said. “Sophomore year was the first year I started playing varsity, but the first play I ever played, he was on the field next to me. He played right tackle and I was at left tackle.
“That was one of the coolest games, and that was the first time I ever played varsity.”
Although Brock Koonce hasn’t been able to live up to his brother’s legacy on the gridiron, he has done so in venues such as the locker room, the weight room and even the classroom.
Brock Koonce admits he wasn’t blessed with the size and the abilities of some of his teammates, so he works hard for everything he does have. That means when he sees one of his talented cohorts slacking off, he corrects the problem.
It’s as the old adage goes, “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.”
“I hate when people don’t work hard,” Koonce said. “People who are really good and don’t work hard, that’s the worst. I try as hard as I can to get them to work hard. Anything I can do, whether it’s in the weight room or in the classroom.”
That no-nonsense attitude is another quality he picked up from his brother.
Not long after his graduation, Landon Koonce enlisted in the military as a member of the Army and left for basic training soon after.
During the six months his brother was gone, Brock Koonce went through a lot of soul-searching.
He wanted to make an impact on the world like Landon Koonce, and he soon realized the military would also be his next step in life upon graduating in seven months.
After all, serving the country in some capacity was sort of a tradition for the men in the family.
“He’s the reason I’m joining the military,” Brock Koonce said. “Him, my dad and my step dad — all three of them are the reason I want to join. My brother is in the Navy, and my step dad and my dad were in Army.”
Brock Koonce initially aspired to become a Navy SEAL, but his plans changed when he received an offer he couldn’t turn down from a different branch.
"The Army had better jobs," Brock Koonce said. “In the Navy, I was going to try to be a Navy SEAL, and I had a chance, but my Army recruiter texted me and told me there’s job opening for a cavalry scout. That was the first one to open up for me to take, so I just went with that one.”