I’ll admit, I love telling ag’s story, but I also like a good sports story. As fall began, I trekked to the football field in Ransom Kansas, where folks at a small, 1A school were working to keep the Friday nights lights burning.
This is where Ransom Rambler Nolan Cromwell grew up – a four-time Pro Bowler who played for the Los Angeles Rams for his entire 11-year career. But times have changed. An area that once supported three or four high schools have consolidated into one – Western Plains. But even consolidation hasn’t stopped the waning population as farms get larger and youth move away. This year, the high school in Ransom only has 32 students. When football started in August, only one boy – a junior – was coming to practice.
While discouraging, Coach Luke Ritchie hasn’t given up on the program. He, along with other school officials, are working to keep their football program alive and using creative ways to make sure the football lights don’t flicker this season.
This is a story about a very inspiring coach who wasn’t going to turn off the lights, with awesome photos by Lindsey Bauman who really captures the scene.
Here’s the story. Friday night lights glow after flicker: Western Plains football tradition being revived