Family members are seen as exceptionally supportive of their athletes in their families, but for Central’s football team, the family ties may be stronger than you think.
Senior tight end Matt Alber and junior outside linebacker Bobby McMillen have aunts who teach Communication Arts classes at school.
Alber’s aunt, Annette Hennessy, teaches Honors English I and AP Literature & Composition. McMillian’s aunt, Mary Beth Reilly, teaches American Studies. Neither aunts head home to rest after an exhausting week at school but instead cheer for their nephews during Friday night football games.
“My husband and I try to make every single game,” Hennessy said. “It’s a warming feeling to have a family member there to support.”
McMillen doesn’t only see his aunt in the bleachers on Fridays, but also five days a week in his American Studies class.
“Not many people in my class even know she’s my aunt,” McMilliane said. “My friends think it’s kind of cool to have [Reilly] to help me on any assignments, but in school, I treat her as just a normal teacher.”
Counselor John Urban, a linebacker coach who coached his final game at the state championship and is retiring at the end of the year, also has experience working in close vicinities with a family member. He coached his son, Scott Urban, on the previous state championship team in 1999.
“Probably the proudest moment of my life was winning in the state championship in 1999 with my son as one of the captains on the team,” John Urban said. “I hugged and held him there after the game…it was the greatest of feelings. But as a coach, I had to move on.”
While Urban coached with his son, head coach Mike Stine was coached by his father, Everett, in high school. Not only did Stine play for his father’s high school football team, but they both coached separate school football teams that won the state championship in 1999 in their respective classes.
His father is still involved in Stine’s football career. He helps coach at Friday night games and even organizes Thursday football family nights at Central.
